HISTOMORPHOMETRICAL STUDIES OF THE KIDNEYS OF ALBINO MICE INJECTED WITH THE NSAID DICLOFENAC SODIUM (RHEUMARENE)

Abstract

ABSTRACT The non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NASIDs) are used for prophylaxis of rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, acute gout and traumatic inflammation of the tendons and ligaments. In spite of the advantageous role of these drugs however, certain reports referred to their pathogenic impacts on some body organs. The present investigation aimed to illustrate the noxious effects which might nappen following the use of the NSAID diclofenac sodium with trade name “rheumarene” on the kidney of albino mice from the histological and morphometrical points of view. Besides, the present work dealt with studing the prospect of recovery after drug abstinence. Fifty adult male albino mice were used , they were allocated into five groups. Animals of group-I served as control. Animals of group-II were intramuscularly injected daily with a dose of “rheumarene” equal 1.5 mg/kg body weight for two weeks. Animals of group-III were injected daily with the same dose of “rheumarene” for three weeks. Animals of group-IV were injected daily with double of that dose of “rheumarene” (3mg/kg body weight) for three weeks. Animals of group-V were injected daily with the first dose of “rheumarene” (1.5mg/kg body weight) for three weeks and then left untreated for further six weeks in order to show the prospect of recuperation after drug abandonment and the results were as follows:- The histological examination of the kidney cortex showed that it displayed prominent swelling, erosion of the parietal epithelial cells of Bowman’s capsules and widening of the urinary spaces in treated groups (GII&GIII), proliferation of mesangial cells as well as disruption of the glomerular capillaries followed by symptoms of hemorrhage in (GIV). The inter-tubular spaces displayed marked widening. Their lining epithelial cells showed cloudy swelling (GII), vacuolar degeneration (GIII) and coagulative necrosis (GIV). The nuclei of these damaged cells manifested pyknosis and karyolysis. The lumina of these deteriorated tubules contained hyaline casts of dead cells. The inter-tubular spaces were invaded with inflammatory leucocytes (GII&GIII), together with extravasations of blood from the damaged capillaries. The cells forming the descending and ascending limbs of Henle’s loops as well as the collecting tubules also showed variable degrees of necrosis (GIV). Nuclear pyknosis, karyolysis and inflammatory cellular infiltration were observed in all the treated groups. In the recovery group (V) these histological devastations were partially relived to their normal picture after drug abstinence, however, few devastated renal corpuscles and tubules were still observed. The morphometrical examination of the kidney cortex showed high significant increase in the number of overwhelmed renal corpuscles (p ≤ 0.1), highly significant increase in the number of damaged proximal and distal convoluted tubules (GIII&GIV) where ( p ≤ 0.01 ) and high significant increase in the number of deteriorated cortical capillaries ( p ≤ 0.1). The renal medulla showed high significant increase in the number of devastated descending and ascending limbs of Henle’s loops as well as the collecting tubules (GIII&GIV) and insignificant enhance in the number of damaged capillaries (GII, GIII&GIV) were observed. In the recovery group (V), high significant increase in the number of recovered renal corpuscles and proximal convoluted tubules (p ≤ 0.1), insignificant number of the distal convoluted tubules (p≤0.5) and high significant increase in the number of recovered inter-tubular blood capillaries (p≤0.1) of the renal cortex and highly significant in the inter-tubular capillaries of renal medulla (p≤0.0).