Abstract
The renal effects of water-soluble (W-S) and water-insoluble (W-INS) portions of the alcoholic extract of Revand Hindi (
Rheum emodi) were investigated on cadmium chloride, mercuric chloride, potassium dichromate and gentamicin-induced nephrotoxicity in rats and normal rats by monitoring the levels of urea nitrogen and creatinine in serum. The present investigations provide evidences that W-S fraction has nephroprotective effect on all the proximal tubule segments (S
1, S
2 and S
3) possibly through antioxidant action of the tannins present in the fraction. W-INS also improved the renal function by protecting S
2 segment of proximal tubule nephrotoxicity induced by metals viz cadmium chloride and mercuric chloride in rat models, however, this fraction has been found to enhance gentamicin nephrotoxicity.