Protective effects of ellagic acid in D-galactosamine-induced kidney damage in rats.

D-Galactosamine (D-GalN), which is an established experimental toxin, primarily causes liver injury by the generation of free radicals and depletion of UTP nucleotides. D-GalN intoxication also induces renal dysfunction thus, renal failure is often associated with the end-stage of the liver damage. We have investigated both preventive and curative effects of ellagic acid (EA) in this study. EA treatment at a gavage dose of 20 mg/kg body weight was administered before and after intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection of D-GalN at a dose of 750 mg/kg. Tissue and blood samples of animals were collected for morphological and biochemical evaluations. Our study results suggest that EA treatment both prior to and after the toxin administration successfully altered the toxic effects on the rats. Moreover, pre-treatment of EA was more protective than post-treatment indicated by histopathological and biochemical values. In conclusion, EA treatment both before and after D-GalN intoxication could protect kidney tissues against D-GalN induced oxidative stress.