Alteration in Oxidative/nitrosative imbalance, histochemical expression of osteopontin and antiurolithiatic efficacy of Xanthium strumarium (L.) in ethylene glycol induced urolithiasis.

Xanthium strumarium has traditionally been used in the treatment of urolitiasis especially by the rural people in India, but its antiurolithiatic efficacy was not explored scientifically till now. Therefore, the present study was designed to validate the ethnic practice scientifically, and explore the possible antiurolithiatic effect to rationalize its medicinal use. Urolitiasis was induced in hyperoxaluric rat model by giving 0.75% ethylene glycol (EG) for 28days along with 1% ammonium chloride (AC) for first 14days. Antiurolithiatic effect of aqueous-ethanol extract of Xanthium strumarium bur (xanthium) was evaluated based on urine and serum biochemistry, oxidative/nitrosative stress indices, histopathology, kidney calcium and calcium oxalate content and immunohistochemical expression of matrix glycoprotein, osteopontin (OPN). Administration of EG and AC resulted in hyperoxaluria, crystalluria, hypocalciuria, polyurea, raised serum urea, creatinine, erythrocytic lipid peroxidise and nitric oxide, kidney calcium content as well as crystal deposition in kidney section in lithiatic group rats. However, xanthium treatment significantly restored the impairment in above kidney function test as that of standard treatment, cystone. The up-regulation of OPN was also significantly decreased after xanthium treatment. The present findings demonstrate the curative efficacy of xanthium in ethylene glycol induced urolithiasis, possibly mediated through inhibition of various pathways involved in renal calcium oxalate formation, antioxidant property and down regulation of matrix glycoprotein, OPN. Therefore, future studies may be established to evaluate its efficacy and safety for clinical use.