Effect of Ethanol Leaf Extract of Vernonia Amygdalina on Serum Urea, Creatinine and Albumin Levels of Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetic Wistar Rats Exposed to Sodium Arsenite

Diabetes mellitus is a chronic metabolic disorder characteized by persistent hyperglycemia which can lead to various complications, including nephropathy. Sodium arsenite (SA) is a well-known nephrotoxic agent. The increasing preference for the use of traditional herbal remedies over conventional medications in managing diabetes and its complications may be attached to the efficacies of the active ingredients present in them. Vernonia amygdalina (VA) is a medicinal plant with antidiabetic, antioxidant and nephroprotective activities. This study investigated the effect of ethanol leaf extract of Vernonia amygdalina on serum urea, creatinine, and albumin of streptozotocin-induced diabetic Wistar rats exposed to intraperitoneal administration of 5 mg/kg bw SA. Twenty-eight (28) male Wistar rats (80-120g), divided into 7 groups of 4 animals each, were used for the study. Groups 1, 2 and 3 served as normal control, diabetic control and diabetic treated with 5 mg/kg bw of SA respectively. Groups 4 and 5 were diabetic treated with 200 mg/kg bw VA (orally) and 5units/kg bw insulin (intraperitoneally) respectively. Group 6 was diabetic treated with 200 mg/kg bw VA and exposed to 5 mg/kg bw SA on the 28th day. Group 7 was diabetic treated with 5units/kg bw insulin and exposed to 5 mg/kg bw SA on the 28th day. Treatments lasted for 28 days and animals were sacrificed 24 hours after and blood collected for analysis of serum urea, creatinine, and albumin levels. The results indicated mild increase in urea level between each treatment group and significant reductions in creatinine and albumin levels when compared to normal control. The Vernonia amygdalina-treated group (DVA) showed significantly decreased creatinine level (28.16 ± 2.82 μmol/L) compared to the diabetic control group (34.19 ± 0.80 μmol/L). for urea, the DVA group (37.6 ± 2.32 mg/dL) showed a non-significant reduction compared to the diabetic control (38.46 ± 2.47 mg/dL). the albumin level remained stable across most groups, with the DVA group recording (2.91 ± 0.24 g/dL), closely matching the normal control (3.38 ± 0.21 g/dL). The diabetic rats treated with VA and exposed to SA on the 28th day (DVA+SA) showed a significant increase in urea level (43.56 ± 2.02 mg/dL) and a non-significant decrease in creatinine (32.18 ± 0.00 μmol/L) and albumin levels (3.06 ± 0.20 g/dL) when compared to the diabetic control. Insulin treatment effectively normalized all renal function markers, highlighting its role in mitigating diabetic nephropathy and arsenic-induced nephrotoxicity. The study concludes that while Vernonia amygdalina exhibits protective effects against renal impairment in diabetic conditions, its potential is limited in cases of arsenic exposure. Insulin remains the most effective treatment for preserving renal function under these experimental conditions. These findings suggest that Vernonia amygdalina could serve as an adjunct therapy in managing diabetic nephropathy, especially where insulin is unavailable.