Effect of Solanum melongena on Components and Kidney Damage of Fructose-Induced Metabolic Syndrome in Rats

In traditional Mexican medicine, Solanum melongena is used to treat obesity, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, asthma, bronchitis, arthritis, and hypercholesterolemia. This study examined the effect of treatment with ethanolic extract (EE) from the fruit of S. melongena on kidney damage on metabolic syndrome (MS). Male Wistar rats were maintained for 12 weeks on a diet of 20% fructose in drinking water and chow to develop MS. After administering EE of S. melongena (100 and 200 mg/kg/day, orally) for 6 weeks, the histological study of the kidney cortex and determination by Western blot of the renal expression of angiotensin II AT1 receptor and cytokine transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-β1) were realized. The rats fed with high fructose developed MS and showed kidney damage characterized by proliferative glomerulonephritis and necrosis; this damage was reduced by S. melongena treatment and associated with decreased expression of AT1 receptor for angiotensin II and cytokine TGF-β1, controlling renal damage in this animal model. In rats affected by MS through high fructose feeding, the treatment with EE of S. melongena showed a renoprotective effect through decreased expression of AT1 receptor for angiotensin II and cytokine TGF-β1, causes of glomerulonephritis.