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a-collection-of-research-articles-on-the-medical-potential-of-cow-urine

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1968 Mol Biol Rep (2014) 41:1967–1976<br />

tissues in <strong>the</strong> following order: fat [ brain [ kidney [<br />

muscle [ lung [ heart [ spleen [ liver [ blood [56]. Toxicity<br />

induced by lindane is attributed to oxidative stress as it<br />

induces <strong>the</strong> release <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> free radicals and generati<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> reactive<br />

oxygen species (ROS) [67].<br />

Oxidative stress is defined as a disrupti<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>the</strong> prooxidant–antioxidant<br />

balance in favor <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>the</strong> former, leading<br />

to <strong>potential</strong> damage [37]. It is a result <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>on</strong>e <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> three<br />

factors: (i) an increase in ROS, (ii) an impairment <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />

antioxidant defence systems, or (iii) an incapacity to repair<br />

oxidative damage.<br />

A number <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> studies indicate <strong>the</strong> toxicity <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> lindane <strong>on</strong><br />

kidney [22, 48]. It has been c<strong>on</strong>sidered that ROS play an<br />

important role in <strong>the</strong> pathogenesis <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> renal injury. Since <strong>the</strong><br />

entire range <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> toxic metabolites in <strong>the</strong> body is excreted<br />

mainly from <strong>the</strong> kidney, this organ is endowed with significant<br />

antioxidant defense system next <strong>on</strong>ly to liver. This<br />

is understandable because ROS play a key intermediary<br />

role in <strong>the</strong> pathophysiologic processes <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> a wide variety <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />

clinical and experimental renal diseases [50, 65].<br />

The human body has a str<strong>on</strong>g inherent synergistic and<br />

multilevel defense mechanism, to combat and counteract<br />

<strong>the</strong> damage caused by free radicals [41]. This defense is<br />

mediated by endogenous antioxidant system which ei<strong>the</strong>r<br />

prevent <strong>the</strong>se reactive species from being formed, or cause<br />

<strong>the</strong>ir removal before <strong>the</strong>y can damage vital comp<strong>on</strong>ents <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />

<strong>the</strong> cell [17]. The excessive free radicals or <strong>the</strong> suppressi<strong>on</strong><br />

<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> antioxidant defense <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> body results into toxicity. In such<br />

c<strong>on</strong>diti<strong>on</strong>s, though <strong>the</strong> body tissue is endowed with enzymatic<br />

and n<strong>on</strong>-enzymatic protective systems, but it seems<br />

that <strong>the</strong> homeostasis <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>the</strong> body fails. In such situati<strong>on</strong>s,<br />

<strong>the</strong> use <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> exogenous substances with antioxidative<br />

<strong>potential</strong> becomes important [64].<br />

Antioxidants have gained immense importance in recent<br />

years. The potency <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> various antioxidants <strong>on</strong> different<br />

organ systems has been investigated against lindane toxicity<br />

[8, 9, 11, 42, 63].<br />

Cow <strong>urine</strong> or Gomutra is c<strong>on</strong>sidered sacred in Hindu<br />

mythology and from ancient times it has been used as a<br />

medicine in India. The medicinal properties <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>cow</strong>’s <strong>urine</strong><br />

have been menti<strong>on</strong>ed in Sushrut (45/221) and Charak<br />

(sloka-100) where it is c<strong>on</strong>sidered useful in treating renal<br />

colic, jaundice, anemia, diarrhea, gastric infecti<strong>on</strong>, piles<br />

and skin diseases including vitiligo. It is also c<strong>on</strong>sidered as<br />

an appetizer and is known to reverse inflammati<strong>on</strong>, a<br />

diuretic as well as a nephroprotective agent. It also acts at<br />

cellular level and generates bioenergy [31]. The analysis <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />

<strong>cow</strong> <strong>urine</strong> has shown that it c<strong>on</strong>tains nitrogen, sulphur,<br />

phosphate, sodium, manganese, carbolic acid, ir<strong>on</strong>, silic<strong>on</strong>,<br />

chlorine, magnesium, melci, citric, titric, succinic, calcium<br />

salts, vitamin A, B, C, D, E, minerals, lactose, enzymes,<br />

creatinine, horm<strong>on</strong>es and gold acids. The <strong>cow</strong> <strong>urine</strong> c<strong>on</strong>tains<br />

those substances, which are present in <strong>the</strong> human<br />

body and thus its c<strong>on</strong>sumpti<strong>on</strong> maintains <strong>the</strong> balance <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />

<strong>the</strong>se substances and cures incurable diseases [49]. Cow<br />

<strong>urine</strong> is also used al<strong>on</strong>g with herbs to treat various diseases<br />

like fever, epilepsy, anemia, abdominal pain, c<strong>on</strong>stipati<strong>on</strong><br />

etc. by <strong>the</strong> traditi<strong>on</strong>al healers [34].<br />

There is a paucity <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> informati<strong>on</strong> regarding <strong>the</strong> role <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />

fresh <strong>cow</strong> <strong>urine</strong> and combinati<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> vitamin E, vitamin C<br />

and alpha lipoic acid against lindane toxicity in kidney.<br />

Therefore, in <strong>the</strong> present study <strong>the</strong>ir role in alleviating <strong>the</strong><br />

oxidative stress induced by lindane intoxicati<strong>on</strong> in kidney<br />

<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> mice has been investigated. Moreover, <strong>the</strong> use <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>cow</strong><br />

<strong>urine</strong> from ancient times has shown to be quite effective<br />

but its efficiency against lindane induced toxicity and its<br />

combined effect al<strong>on</strong>g with <strong>the</strong> various antioxidants is<br />

hi<strong>the</strong>rto unreported. Hence, present study was undertaken<br />

to fill <strong>the</strong> lacuna in this regard.<br />

Materials and methods<br />

Chemicals<br />

Lindane (c-HCH) was obtained from Sigma chemicals St.<br />

Louis, Mo, USA (CAS No. 58-89-9 and purity 97 %). vitamin<br />

E, vitamin C, a-lipoic acid, sodium azide, thiobarbituric<br />

acid, dinitrophenylhydrazine (DNPH), 2, 2 dipyridyl, and<br />

phenazine methosulphate were obtained from Himedia,<br />

India. Dithiobisnitro benzene (DTNB), reduced glutathi<strong>on</strong>e<br />

and bovine serum albumin were purchased from Sisco<br />

Research Laboratories, Mumbai, India. All o<strong>the</strong>r chemicals<br />

and solvents used were <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> analytical grade. Cow <strong>urine</strong>: Urine<br />

<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> young <strong>cow</strong> was collected from local <strong>cow</strong>shed and stored in<br />

an air tight bottle for fur<strong>the</strong>r use.<br />

Animals and treatment<br />

Male Swiss mice, weighing 30 ± 5 g and 8–10 weeks old<br />

were procured from Cadila Health Care Institute, Ahmedabad.<br />

Animals were maintained <strong>on</strong> sterilized rice husk<br />

bedding in polypropylene cages and kept at a temperature<br />

<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> about 23 ± 3 °C with 12 ± 1 h L:D cycle. Animals<br />

were fed <strong>on</strong> standard pelletal diet (Pranav Agro, Baroda).<br />

Food and water were ad libitum. Experimental protocol<br />

was approved by <strong>the</strong> Instituti<strong>on</strong>al Animal Ethics Committee.<br />

Handling <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> animals was according to <strong>the</strong> guidelines <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />

123

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