Effect of rosmarinic acid on potassium bromate induced renal cortical oxidative stress and apoptosis in adult male albino rat

Potassium bromate (KBrO3) is widely used as a food additive and is a major water disinfection by-product, in spite of its well-known oxidative cell and tissue damage. Therefore, the therapeutic efficacy of rosmarinic acid is examined to alleviate KBrO3 mediated renal oxidative damage. For this purpose, 24 adult male albino rats were categorized into four groups; group 1 (control); group 2: received 50 mg/Kg/day rosmarinic acid orally for 4 weeks; group 3: received 20 mg/Kg/dose KBrO3 orally twice weekly for 4 weeks, and group 4: received both KBrO3 and rosmarinic acid. After 4 weeks, serum was collected for analysis of kidney functions and kidneys were sampled for histopathological and biochemical analysis. The results indicated that treatment with rosmarinic acid significantly abated most of the indices and biomarkers of the renal toxicity caused by KBrO3. It significantly ameliorated histopathological changes and the changes in the immunoexpression of proapoptotic protein (Bax), antiapoptotic protein (BcI2) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) induced by KBrO3. Taken together, it could be concluded that the rosmarinic acid has a beneficial effect against KBrO3-induced nephrotoxicity by its antioxidant and antiapoptotic effects.