Mercury exacerbates cyclosporin nephrotoxicity in rats

Abstract

Background:The use of cyclosporin (CsA) in the presence of other nephrotoxic drugs poses a great challenge to physicians. This study was designed to address the effect of concomitant administration of mercury and cyclosporin on nephrotoxicity of rats.Methods-Male Spragu~-Dawley rats (weighing 230 + 20 g) were divided into the following 8 groups of 7 animals each: group 1, control; group 2, mercury alone; group 3, cyclosporin 12.5 mg/kg; group 4, cyclosporin 25 mg/kg; group 5, CsA50 mg/kg; group 6, CsA 12.5 mg/kg + mercury; group 7, CsA 25 mg/kg + mercury; and group 8, CsA 50 mg/kg + mercury. Mercury (1 mg/kg) was given by subcutaneous injection, and CsA, by oral gavage; drugs were given once a day for 7 days. Twenty-four hours after the last dose of drugs, the animals were killed, and blood samples were assayed for BUN, serum creatinine, and CsA levels. The left kidney was analyzed for malondialdehyde, lipid hydroperoxides, vitamin E, and glutathione levels, and histopathologic analysis was done on the right kidney.