Author(s): SS Enitan, KA Digban, M Olley, OG Otuneme, TG Faloye and IO Adediji

Abstract: The curative and nephrotoxic potential of methanolic leaf extract of Plukenetia conophora (MLEPC) was assessed in rats challenged with experimental Pseudomonas aeruginosa urinary tract infection. Rats with culture-proven Pseudomonas aeruginosa UTI were treated with different doses of MLEPC (250, 500, 750 and 1000 mg/Kg/bid), as well as equal volume (50:50) of 500 mg/Kg/bid MLEPC and 500 mg/Kg/bid Ciprofloxacin suspension combined, administered orally twice daily for 7days. The animals were sacrificed on day 2, 4, 8 and 16 to determine bacterial burden in urine and urinary organs homogenates, as well as urine leucocytes count using standard methods. Urinary levels of acid phosphatase (ACP), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), Creatinine and Urea were also evaluated spectrophoto-metrically using kits to determine the nephrotoxic potential of the extract. The treatment outcome of our experimental P. aeruginosa UTI in animal model revealed that the MLEPC produce a progressive significant reduction (P<0.001) in the bacterial load in urine, bladder and kidneys homogenates, as well as urine leucocytes count in a dose-dependent manner comparable to that of the positive control (Ciprofloxacin). Combination of MLEPC with Ciprofloxacin resulted in a partial synergistic effect. All the extract-treated groups, had sterile pyluria by day 4 of therapy, as well as sterile bladder and kidney culture by day 8, except for 250mg/Kg/bid with a mean urine, bladder and kidneys bacterial count of 3.7 log CFU/ml, 1.4 log CFU/bladder and 1.7 log CFU/kidneys, respectively and mean urine leucocytes count of 9 cells/mm3. By day 16, all the animals have fully recovered, no bacterial growth was observed except for the negative control. Nephrotoxicity studies showed no evidence of nephrotoxicity in even the most challenging experiment. The result of this study revealed the UTI-curative activity of Methanolic extract of P. conophora, with no potential risk of nephrotoxicity.