Oxidative stress (OS) is one of the responsible factors for causing renal diseases. For the treatment or prevention of the renal disease, antioxidants use could be a hopeful therapeutic mediation as they block the oxidative reaction along with inflammatory process. Wogonin (Wog) is a plant flavonoid, a pharmacologically active component of Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi (Huang Qui), which exhibits antioxidant activity. In this investigation, we explored the nephroprotective activity of Wog on cadmium (Cd)-induced nephron toxicity in rats. Administering (10 and 20 mg/kg) intraperitoneally diminished Cd-induced anomalies in kidney histology and creatinine and serum urea levels. Wog therapy reduced the Cd-influenced generation of inflammatory mediators, inclusive of tumor necrosis factor alpha, interleukin 6, and interleukin 1 beta. Western blot analysis demonstrated that Wog abolished proinflammatory nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) p65 stimulation, phosphorylation of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs). In all, Wog demonstrated antioxidative and anti-inflammatory effects in Cd- intoxicated rats by obstructing OS and activation of NF-κB via restricting the stimulation of upstream kinases inclusive of MAPKs.
Keywords: Antioxidant; apoptosis; cadmium; nephroptotection; nephrotoxicity; wogonin.