CYCLOSPORIN INDUCED EFFECTS ON FOETAL KIDNEY IN ALBINO MICE

Authors

  • N Tawakal
  • M Tahir
  • S Waqas

Abstract

Background: Cyclosporin A (CsA) is an immunosuppressive agent which is used to prevent graftrejection and to treat autoimmune disorders. Its teratogenic effects remain unexplored despite itsextensive use even during pregnancy. Current study was, therefore, undertaken to investigate theeffects of CsA on the developing kidney. Methods: Twelve pregnant mice were divided into twogroups, A and B, having six animals each. Cyclosporin was freshly prepared in normal saline dailyand administered subcutaneously by a single dose of 50 mg/kg in the morning to experimentalgroup B during pregnancy from day 0 to day 18. The control group A was given comparablevolume of normal saline only. The pregnant mice were sacrificed at the end of experimentalperiod. The foetal kidneys were dissected and fixed in 10% formalin for histological preparations.Results: The results showed that weight of the foetuses and their kidneys exposed to CsA wasconsistently reduced. The mean weight of the foetuses exposed to CsA was 1.34±0.08 g ascompared to 1.48±0.18 g in the control group whereas the mean kidney weight from CsA treatedgroup was 9.47±0.27 mg when compared to the control having 10.79±0.53 mg. Morphometricanalysis revealed reduction in total number of glomeruli and hypertrophy of remaining glomeruli.The total number of glomeruli/mm2 in the kidneys from CsA treated group was 26.85±4.43 ascompared to 41.33±3.66 from the control group and the mean diameter of glomeruli from thefoetuses of groups A and B was 7.11±0.47 mm and 8.66±0.63 mm respectively; the differencesbetween the groups A and B of the animals on all the parameters above were statisticallysignificant (p<0.000). Conclusion: The results of the investigation indicated that CsAadministration to the pregnant dams produced deleterious effects of on the developing kidney inmice. On the analogy of the results, comparable effects of CsA are expected in case of human;this, however, needs further investigations.Keywords: Cyclosporin A, nephrotoxicity

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Published

2010-03-01

Issue

Vol. 22 No. 1 (2010): JOURNAL OF AYUB MEDICAL COLLEGE, ABBOTTABAD

Section

ORIGINAL ARTICLE

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