Volume 18, Issue 41, January - June, 2024

Relationship between cadmium toxicity, kidney function disturbances and urinary bladder inflammation: The role of Uvaria chamae in mitigating these effects

Gabriel Edem^1♦, Jessica David², Kingsley Okon¹, Hope Thompson¹

¹Department of Human Anatomy, College of Health Sciences, University of Uyo, Uyo, Nigeria
²Department of Medical Physiology, College of Health Sciences, University of Uyo, Uyo, Nigeria

^♦Corresponding author
Department of Human Anatomy, College of Health Sciences, University of Uyo, Uyo, Nigeria

ABSTRACT

The aim of this study was to investigate the ameliorative effects of Uvaria chamae against cadmium-induced toxicity on the urinary bladder and kidney function biomarkers of Wistar rats, considering its recognized local health benefits. Twentyfive adults male Wistar rats weighing between 120g and 350g were assigned into five groups (5 per group). The groups were designated as follows: group 1 (control), rats received standard feed and distilled water; group 2, rats induced with 3mg/kg of cadmium; group 3, rats induced with 3mg/kg of cadmium and given 500mg/kg of extract; group 4, rats induced with 3mg/kg of cadmium and given 1000mg/kg of extract; group 5, rats induced with 3mg/kg of cadmium and given 1000mg/kg of extract; group 5, rats induced with 3mg/kg of cadmium and 1500mg/kg of extract. Cadmium was administered intraperitoneally once a week for four weeks based on the animals' body weight, while Uvaria chamae root extract was orally administered daily for twenty-eight days. After the last day of administration, the animals were sacrificed. Samples (comprising blood and urinary bladder tissues) were obtained for biochemical and histopathological analysis respectively. Kidney function biomarkers including serum urea, serum creatinine, and BUN were measured while thin sections of urinary bladder were processed for histopathological screening. The administration of cadmium resulted in urinary bladder damage, indicated by a significant (P < 0.05) increase in the assessed indices (serum urea, serum creatinine, and BUN) in the experimental animals when compared to the control animals. Remarkably, the administration of Uvaria chamae effectively restored the aforementioned changes to nearly normal levels in rats exposed to cadmium. Furthermore, this treatment ameliorated the histological derangements, including disorganized epithelium, hemorrhagic cystitis, tissue edema and detrusor muscle hypertrophy in the urinary bladder of the experimental rats caused by cadmium. Thus, the potential therapeutic and ameliorative effects of Uvaria chamae extracts against toxicity induced by cadmium are evident.

Keywords: Uvaria chamae, urinary bladder, cadmium, toxicity, blood urea nitrogen, serum urea, serum creatinine

Drug Discovery, 2024, 18(41), e6dd1968

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.54905/disssi.v18i41.e6dd1968

Published: 05 February 2024