Mercuric Chloride Induced Nephrotoxicity: Ameliorative Effect of Carica papaya Leaves Confirmed by Histopathology, Immunohistochemistry, and Gene Expression Studies

[Image: see text] The present study analyzes the efficacy of the ethanolic extract of C. papaya leaves (ECP) against HgCl(2)-induced nephrotoxicity. The effects on the biochemical and percentage of body and organ weight against HgCl(2)-induced nephrotoxicity in female Wistar rats were studied. Wistar rats were divided into five groups with six animals in each group: control, HgCl(2) (2.5 mg/kg b.w.), N-acetylcysteine (NAC 180 mg/kg) + HgCl(2), ECP (300 mg/kg b.w.) + HgCl(2), and ECP (600 mg/kg) + HgCl(2) groups. After 28 days of study, animals were sacrificed on the 29th day to harvest the blood and kidneys for further analysis. The effect ECP was analyzed by immunohistochemistry (NGAL) and real-time PCR (KIM-1 and NGAL mRNA) in HgCl(2)-induced nephrotoxicity. The results revealed that the HgCl(2) group showed prominent damage in the proximal tubules and glomerulus of nephrons and enormous expression of NGAL in immunohistochemistry and KIM-1 and NGAL in real-time PCR compared to the control group. The simultaneous pretreatment with NAC (180 mg/kg) and ECP (600 and 300 mg/kg) reduced renal damage and expression of NGAL in immunohistochemistry and KIM-1 and NGAL gene in real-time PCR. This study attests to the nephroprotective effect of ECP against HgCl(2)-induced toxicity.