Varaporn Podprasart. Steviside and steviol : the effect on Na+-K+ ATPase activity and the correlation with distribution in intracellular and extracellular compartments of rabbit renal proximal tubule. Master's Degree(Toxicology). Mahidol University. Mahidol University Library and Knowledge Center. : Mahidol University, 1998.
Steviside and steviol : the effect on Na+-K+ ATPase activity and the correlation with distribution in intracellular and extracellular compartments of rabbit renal proximal tubule
Abstract:
In recent times, non-caloric sugar substitutes have come to play a crucial role in human dietary patterns. One of these sugar substitutes that is popular and well-known is named Stevioside. Stevioside is a sweet glycoside, approximately 300 times sweeter than sucrose, and is abundant in the leaves of Stevia rebaudiana. The toxicity of stevioside has been extensively investigated to evaluate its safety for human consumption. Most of the investigations suggested that stevioside had no serious toxic effect. In contrast, some reports showed that stevioside could produce nephrotoxicity. Furthermore, steviol, a major metabolite of stevioside, induced a more potent toxic effect on kidney function than its parent compound. The exact mechanism(s), however, of stevioside- or steviol-induced nephrotoxicity remaine in question. Most of the toxicants affect cell function by their presence in the cell. Therefore, this study was conducted to examine the distribution of stevioside and steviol, comparing the extra- and intracellular compartments of renal proximal tubule of rabbits, after 60 minutes exposure to these compounds. The result obtained from this study would explain how stevioside and steviol affect renal proximal tubular function and indicate the site of action of these compounds. It was found that highly purified stevioside (>95%) showed no effect on renal proximal Na+-K+ATPase activity, even at the high concentration (2.0 mM). Using HPLC analysis, it was found that stevioside could not pass into intracellular compartment of renal proximal tubule cells, whereas its metabolite, isosteviol, appeared significantly intracellularly when tubules were incubated with stevioside at concentration of 0.75 mM. Steviol had a dose-dependent inhibitory effect on renal proximal Na+-K+ATPase of about 10-18% when present at concentrations from 0.5 to 2.0 mM. Steviol was also found in significant amount in renal proximal tubule cells when steviol treatment was 2.0 mM. The data showed the positive correlation between the effect of steviol on renal proximal Na+-K+ATPase activity and steviol presence in the intracellular compartment. These findings suggested that since highly pure stevioside could not penetrate the membrane, normal function of renal proximal tubules was retained. Steviol, on the other hand, crosses the renal proximal tubules membrane into intracellular site, causing an inhibitory effect on renal proximal tubular function, as represented by the decrement in Na+-K+ ATPase activity.