Assessment of the histological changes of the heart and kidneys induced by berberine in adult albino wistar rats

Background: Berberine is a natural compound found to have numerous pharmacological activities such as anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. It has been the subject of intensive scientific research; however, there have been scanty information on its subacute effect on the heart and kidney. Aims: This work was done to investigate the hepatocellular changes induced by berberine in adult Wistar rats. Materials and Methods: Twenty adult apparently healthy rats were used for this study. The rats were divided into four groups of five per group and fed with pellets and water ad libitum. Group A served as the control, Group B were fed with 2 mg/kg of berberine, Group C with 20 mg/kg, while Group D were fed with 200 mg/kg body weight. Doses were administered once daily using oral gavage for 28 days. Prior to the time of sacrificing the animals, blood samples were collected into plain test tubes and the animals anesthetized before sacrifice. Necropsy was performed, and the tissues (heart and kidneys) processed and stained using hematoxylin and eosin-staining techniques. Serum electrolyte (sodium and potassium), urea, creatinine, creatine kinase, and lactate dehydrogenase were analyzed. Statistical Analysis Used: Data obtained from the study were statistically analyzed using SPSS software (version 21). Results: There were significant increases in urea and creatinine (40.05 ± 14.32, P = 0.031 and 1.93 ± 0.80, P = 0.044) as well as potassium (7.45 ± 1.81, P = 0.026) in the 200 mg/kg-treated animals when compared with the control (14.59 ± 8.03, 0.40 ± 0.03, and 3.60 ± 1.01). The histological architecture of the kidneys showed glomerular atrophy in the 200 mg/kg-treated rats. There was no noticeable histological alteration in the heart. Conclusions: The result showed that berberine was toxic to the kidney at concentrations high as 200 mg/kg.