Abstract
Introduction: Resveratrol (trans-3,5,4’-trihydroxystilbene) as a polyphenol with potential
antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties is known as an effective herbal medicine in
different disorders in rats.
Objectives: The present study was carried out to investigate the protective effects of oral
consumption of resveratrol on vanadium induced renal injury in male Wistar rats.
Materials and Methods: Animals received either ammonium metavanadate (AMV, 5 mg/
kg/d, (intraperitoneally; 14 consecutive days) or resveratrol solution (10 mg/kg and 50 mg/kg,
gastric gavage) along with AMV treatment. The last group received resveratrol alone (50 mg/
kg, gastric gavage) for 4 weeks.
Results: AMV injection caused progressive tubular damages resembling acute tubular
necrosis. Microscopic views revealed tubular attenuation and blebbing. In addition,
progressive peritubular congestion of the capillaries observed while no evidence of renal
fibrosis was present in trichrome staining. Further, levels of the renal transforming growth
factor β1 (TGF-β1) as an index of fibrosis had no difference in treated animals as compared
with the control (13.4±1.2 versus 11.24±0.93 pg/mg protein) at the P<0.05. However, in AMVtreated animals receiving the higher dose of resveratrol (50 mg/kg), the renal superoxide
dismutase (SOD) activity, showed no difference as compared with the saline-treated rats
(42±1.3 versus 51±1.4).
Conclusions It is evident that AMV injection had no ability to induce renal fibrosis in rats
while it evokes renal destructive lesions based on pathological results and enzyme levels.
Moreover, our preliminary results suggest that resveratrol in high dose (50 mg/kg) could
confer a minor role against AMV induced renal tubular necrosis in rats due to pathological
results.