Co-Treatment With Cranberry and Vitamin-C Ameliorates the Hepato-Renal Toxicities Induced by Phenobarbital in Wistar Rats

Abstract

Although phenobarbital (PB) is used to treat epilepsy, its long-term treatment leads to liver and kidney dysfunctions. Natural products, however, can provide essential resources to alleviate hepato-renal toxicities due to their antioxidant's properties. This study evaluated the impact of cranberries (CB) and Vitamin-C (Vit-C) on hepato-renal toxicities induced by PB in rats. Forty male Wistar rats were allocated into five groups (N= 8) as follows: Group 1 (Gp1) was served as a negative control. Gp2 had administered with PB (160 mg/kg), orally for a month. Gp3 and Gp4 had administered with PB as in Gp2, then administered with CB (500 mg/kg) and Vit-C (27 mg/kg), respectively for a month. Gp5 had administered with PB, then administered with a combination of CB and Vit-C as in Gp3 and Gp4. Liver transaminases, albumin, total protein, creatinine, urea, total lipids, cholesterol, as well as catalase (CAT), super oxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione reduced (GSH) and malondialdehyde (MDA) were assessed. The liver and kidney histopathological alterations were examined. The treatment with PB decreased the percentage of the body weight changes, impaired the liver and kidney functions, increased the levels of total lipids, cholesterol, MDA levels, decreased the SOD, CAT activities, and changed the histological architectures of both kidney and liver. Treatment with CB or Vit-C ameliorates the adverse effects that were induced by PB, however, PB-injected rats that were co-treated with CB/Vit-C showed the highest therapeutic effects. Collectively, cotreatment with CB and Vit-C mitigated hepato-renal toxicities induced by PB-treatment in rats.