Serotonin levels in plasma and platelets of cyclosporin a treated rats

ABSTRACT

Nephrotoxicity of cyclosporin A[CsA] is the major side effect of this potent immunosuppressive drug. In order to evaluate the involvement of serotonin in CsA nephrotoxicity, rats were treated with different doses [1,10,30 and 100 mg/kg/day] of CsA on four consecutive days. Elevated serum urea and creatinine levels was accompanied by structural evidence of varying degrees of cytoplasmic proximal tubular vacuolization. These biochemical and pathologic changes were accompanied by an elevation of serotonin level in plasma and the depletion of serotonin content of the platelets. It is suggested that the elevated plasma levels of serotonin in CsA treated rats may be the result of platelet activation and degranulation