<i>Micromeria congesta</i> Alleviates LPS‐Induced Inflammation, Apoptosis, Oxidative Stress and DNA Damage in Rat Heart and Kidneys

Life-threatening sepsis with high mortality and morbidity is an important cause of acute kidney injury and myocardial dysfunction. In this study, we investigated the protective effect of Micromeria congesta (MC) against kidney and heart damage caused by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) used as a sepsis model. Control, LPS, LPS + 25 mg/kg MC and LPS + 50 mg/kg MC groups were established from rats for the study. After the experiment, kidney and heart tissues obtained from the rats were stained with hematoxylin-eosin for histopathologic examination. Immunohistochemical staining was performed to determine inflammation, apoptosis, oxidative stress and DNA damage. IL-2 for inflammation, CASP-3 for apoptosis, HSP-27 for oxidative stress and 8-OHdG for DNA damage were used for immunopathologic examination. Histopathologic examination showed that the lesions in the kidney and heart tissues in the LPS group decreased with increasing doses of MC. Immunohistochemical examination showed that the expression of IL-2, CASP-3, HSP-27 and 8-OHdG was severe in the LPS group, but the severity of expression in these tissues decreased with increasing doses of MC. As a result of the study, it was histopathologically determined that MC reduced LPS-induced kidney and heart tissue damage. In addition, MC was found to protect against LPS by reducing LPS-induced inflammation, apoptosis, oxidative stress and DNA damage in kidney and heart tissue. In conclusion, it was seen that MC was effective in sepsis damage. However, it was concluded that MC could be an alternative in drug strategies developed for sepsis treatment with studies in vivo including more analyses.