Does Hypoxis hemerocallidea mitigate renal histopathological injuries following highly active antiretroviral therapy? An experimental animal study.

BACKGROUND

Nephrotoxicity has become an important public health problem following the success recorded with highly active antiretroviral therapy, and there is paucity of literature reporting the attenuating influence of plant-based adjuvants that can mitigate the effects.

METHODS

Sixty three adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into 9 groups (A-I) and treated as follows: group A received HAART cocktail (lamivudine, stavudine and nevirapine), group B received HAART and Hypoxis hemerocallidea (HH) extract (200 mg/kg), group C received HAART and HH (100 mg/kg), group D received HAART and vitamin C, group E received HAART and vitamin E, group F received HAART, vitamin C and vitamin E, group G received HH extract (100 mg/kg), group H received HH extract (200 mg/kg), and group I received saline as placebo. After 56 days, animals were euthanized, kidneys harvested and prepared for H&E staining and blood samples were collected for BUN and serum creatinine analyses.

RESULTS

The results from histological slides showed distorted glomerular and epithelial components with extensive loss of Bowman's capillary integrity in HAART-treated group. Adjuvant treatment with HH both high and low doses did not show any remarkable attenuating influence. However, HH100mg/kg-alone treated group showed improved histological layout as compared to the higher dose. Co-administration of HAART and vitamins C and E did not improve the parameters examined. The serum creatinine and BUN levels were significantly increased (P<0.05) following HAART with observable increase in kidney body weight ratio. SCR levels in group D was significantly reduced (P<0.05) but elevated in groups B, C, G and H (P<0.001). Groups B and C, as well as groups F and H recorded higher BUN values (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Adjuvant treatment with HH extract did not attenuate the nephrotoxicity of HAART in this model.