Histological and immunohistochemical study on the changes induced by contraceptive pills in the female rabbit's kidney

ABSTRACT

The mechanism for the development of overt hypertension due to the oral contraception ingestion remains unclear. Experimental evidence favors a role for the renin-angiotensin system. The present study focuses on evaluating the effect of two different contraceptive pills including combined pills [estrogen and progesterone] and mini pills [progesterone only] on the kidney of female rabbit. After three month of daily oral administration of these contraceptive pills the animals were sacrificed. The excised kidneys were dissected, processed and stained with H and E, PAS and Masson's trichrome and anti-angiotensin II immunohistochemical stains. This was followed by morphometric measurements and statistical study. This study revealed that contraceptive pills administration specially the combined one caused marked alterations in the form of damaged kidney tubules with cell swelling and loss of brush border and enlarged glomeruli with hypercellularity. Also, a statistically significant increase in collagenous content peritubular and peri and intraglomerular was observed. There was also a statistically significant increase in the anti-Angiotensin II immunoreactivity in renal tubules as well as intra-glomerular and in the interstitial cells. All these changes were less marked after mini pill treatment. Progesterone only pills could be safer on the kidney as a contraceptive mean when compared to combined pills