Chlorpyrifos induced nephrotoxicity in rats and protective role of quercetin and catechin

Chlorpyrifos is organophosphorus insecticide, widely used in agriculture and public health. Chlorpyrifos causes toxic effects in the non-target organisms, except the target organisms. Quercetin and catechin are the most common flavonoids in human diet. In the present study, catechin (20 mg/kg day), quercetin (20 mg/kg day), chlorpyrifos (5,4 mg/kg day), catechin+chlorpyrifos, quercetin+chlorpyrifos were given to mature male Wistar rats through gavage. At the end of 4th week, body and kidney weights of rats, antioxidant enzyme activities [superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and glutathione-S-transferase (GST)], malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, the end product of lipit peroxidation, serum urea, uric acid and creatinin levels, indicator of kidney function, and histopathological changes of kidney using light microscope were investigated compared to control group.No significant differences were observed between control, catechin treated and quercetin treated groups.When the chlorpyrifos, catechin+chlorpyrifos and quercetin+chlorpyrifos treated groups were compared to the control group, in the body weight gain, absolute kidney weights, relative kidney weights, GPx and GST activities were decreased while in the MDA levels, SOD and CAT activities and serum urea, uric acid and creatinin levels were increased. In catechin+chlorpyrifos and quercetin+chlorpyrifos treated groups, we observed the protective effects of catechin and quercetin on examining parameters.While histopathological changes such as glomerular atrophy, inflammatory cell infiltration and tubular degeneration were observed in the chlorpyrifos treated rats, less histopathological changes were observed in catechin+chlorpyrifos and quercetin+chlorpyrifos treated groups. As a result, chlorpyrifos causes nephrotoxicity and catechin and quercetin alleviated this toxicity.