NEPHROTOXIC EFFECTS OF STEVIOSIDE AND STEVIOL IN RAT RENAL CORTICAL SLICES

Nephrotoxic effects of stevioside and steviol on p-aminohippurate (PAH ) accumulation in rat renal cortical tissue were demonstrated. Subcuta neous administration of stevioside (1.5 g/kg body weight) to rats for 9h significantly (p<0.001) decreased the ability of excised renal cort ex slices to accumulate PAH in vitro by 63.4%. Stevioside had no effec t on lipid peroxidation in the plasma and renal cortical slices at 9h after administration. Addition of either stevioside (6.25-100 mu M) or steviol (1.56-100 mu M) to the incubation medium inhibited PAH accumu lation in the rat renal cortical slices after a 30-min incubation. Thi s inhibitory effect was dose dependent, and was at its maximum at 25 m u M. Steviol was more potent than stevioside in inhibiting PAH uptake by renal cortical slices. Stevioside and steviol at a concentration of 100 mu M had no effect on lipid peroxidation in rat renal cortical sl ices incubated for 30 min in vitro. These results suggest that the nep hrotoxic effects induced by stevioside and steviol in rats are not rel ated to lipid peroxidation.