Histological study and DNA changes in the kidneys of rat fetuses maternally treated with Clarithromycin

Introduction: macrolide antibiotics are a class of potent and well established antimicrobials that also possess anti-inflammatory and/or immunomodulatory properties. Because of their size, lower levels of macrolides are able to reach the developing fetuses

Materials and method: the pregnant rats were orally administered with clarithromycin at early and late gestational periods. The 20 day-old fetuses were dissected for excision of the kidney. Half of the kidney was processed and stained with H and E, PAS, Masson's trichrome and Feulgen techniques then followed by morphometric measurements and statistical study. The other half of the kidney was preserved for DNA fragmentation assay.Results: This study revealed that clarithromycin administration to pregnant rats showed different histopathological, histochemical and DNA changes in the kidneys of their fetuses

Conclusion: Administration of the antimicrobial agent; clarithromycin at early and late gestational periods exhibits nephrotoxicity in the developing fetuses

Histological and immunohistochemical studies on the kidneys of pregnant rats treated with Clarithromycin

Background: clarithromycin is a semisynthetic macrolide antibiotic, exhibits broad-spectrum activity against gram-positive and gram-negative aerobes. Macrolides are bacteriostatic antibiotics that inhibit protein biosynthesis via reversible binding to the bacterial 50S ribosomal subunit. Macrolides are able to cross placenta and reach the fetus

Aim of the work: the present study is focused on evaluating the effects of antimicrobial drug, clarithromycin on the kidneys of pregnant rats

Material and methods: clarithromycin is orally given to the treated groups of the pregnant rats once daily at different periods of gestation by gastric tube at a dose of 45 mg/kg/day. The excised kidneys were dissected, processed and stained with H and E, PAS, Masson's trichrome, Feulgen reaction and anti-CD68 immunohistochemical stain then followed by morphometric measurements and statistical analysis. The kidneys were also preserved for DNA fragmentation assay

Results: this study revealed that clarithromycin administration especially to pregnant rats showed different histopathological and histochemical changes in kidney tissues and cellular DNA. Also immunohistochemical anti-inflammatory marker CD68 showed positive reactivity in all treated groups

Conclusion: The presence of histopathological and histochemical changes revealed nephrotoxicity in the pregnant rats after administration of the antimicrobial drug, clarithromycin

Cytotoxicity of silver nanoparticles in mice liver cells: an ultrastructure study

Nanoparticles of silver have many important applications and are among the most commonly used nanomaterials. They are increasingly used in a variety of both medical and consumer products which includes: spectrally selective coating for solar energy absorption and intercalation material for electrical batteries, as optical receptors, polarizing filters, catalysts in chemical reaction and bio-labeling. Nanosilver [Ag-NP] has both antibacterial and antiviral activity. Yet, the knowledge about the systemic toxicity of nanosilver is relatively limited. The aim of work: To evaluate the potential toxicity of small size 10nm silver nanoparticles using two different doses [0.1 ml and 0.4 ml] focusing on the ultrastructural changes occurring in mice hepatocytes. This study was performed using three groups of mice. The animals of the first group were given a daily intravenous injection of 0.1 ml of silver nanoparticles for 28 consecutive days. The second group was treated with 0.4 ml of silver nanoparticles for 28 consecutive days. The third group served as a control group in which the animals did not receive any vehicle. The study was focused on the ultrastructure of the liver. Ultrastructure observations of liver cells of mice Treated with any of the two doses [0.1 and 0.4 ml] of 10 nm Ag-NP indicated severe accumulation of dark deposits of Ag-NP in the cytoplasm and the cell organelles. Our study revealed that nanosilver used in doses of 0.1 and 0.4 ml led to deposits in the cells and induced damage of cell components especially the nucleus, mitochondria and chromatin

Ultrastructural and histological studies on the ameliorative effects of some antioxidants on liver tissue of aged mice

One of the biological changes associated with aging is increased free radical formation, with subsequent damage to cellular processes. Aging increased oxidative injury and apoptosis in the liver of aging animals. Antioxidants play an important role in preventing free radical damage associated with age by interfering with the generation of these radicals or by scavenging them. This study were done to know the capability of damage and dysfunction of liver and the ameliorative effects of some antioxidants. Vitamin E [1.56 mg/kg] as lipid soluble antioxidant, vitamin C [1.9 mg/kg] as water soluble antioxidant and zinc sulfate [0.12 mg/kg] as metalloenzyme antioxidant were orally administrated to different groups of 15 months [aged] mice each for 30 consecutive days to improve age-associated liver dysfunction. The present study showed that zinc treatment of aged mice was associated with a significant increase in glycogen granules storage and protein deposition in the hepatocyte, also histological improvement in the liver architecture was noticed as an organized cords, intact hepatocytes cytoplasm without vacuolation and the nucleus were of normal size and blood sinusoids were more or less similar to those of the liver of adult animals, while treated with vitamin E appeared nearly normal with some little vacuoles in the cytoplasm of its cells, and high increase of glycogen and protein contents was observed in the hepatocytes. Vitamin C treatment showed fairly improvement to the general architecture of the liver tissue while the hepatocytes still showed vacuolated cytoplasm, and moderate increase in glycogen and protein content were observed in the hepatic cells. The present study suggested that zinc sulfate is the best antioxidant improve aging liver histology, then, vitamin E and vitamin C. Administration of these drugs where there is no need have bad and dangerous effects