title: Effects of H2-receptor antagonists on renal function in cyclosporine-treated renal transplant patients.
abstract: H2-receptor antagonists have been frequently avoided in cyclosporine-treated transplant patients because of concern regarding possible exacerbation of nephrotoxicity. To determine whether the reported increase of serum creatinine levels in cyclosporine-treated transplant patients receiving H2-receptor antagonists was due to a true decrease in glomerular filtration rate or was secondary to altered renal tubular handling of creatinine, simultaneous inulin and creatinine clearances were analyzed in 11 cyclosporine-treated renal transplant recipients before and after H2-receptor antagonist administration. Seven patients received one week of cimetidine 300 mg p.o. four times daily and eight received one week of ranitidine 150 mg p.o. two times daily. Prior to study, all patients had stable renal function and were maintained on prednisone (mean dose 0.2 +/- 0.01 mg/kg/day) and cyclosporine (mean dose 5 +/- 0.6 mg/kg/day). Four patients were also receiving azathioprine (2 mg/kg/day). Cimetidine administration resulted in a significant increase (P less than 0.05) in mean serum creatinine concentration from 2.0 +/- 0.3 mg/dl to 2.4 +/- 0.3 mg/dl and a significant reduction (P less than 0.05) in mean creatinine clearance remained unchanged during this same period. Serum creatinine levels returned to baseline values for all patients following discontinuation of the drug. Ranitidine administration had no consistent effect on serum creatinine concentration, creatinine clearance or inulin clearance. Cyclosporine trough levels and BUN were unchanged by either drug. These results confirm previous observations demonstrating an increase in serum creatinine and a reduction in creatinine clearance following administration of H2 receptor antagonists, especially cimetidine. Failure to document a simultaneous reduction in inulin clearance is consistent with the hypothesis that H2-receptor antagonists do not exacerbate cyclosporine nephrotoxicity and lower GFR, but rather compete with creatinine for tubular secretion.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut 06510.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pachon
authors.forename: M I
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Lorber
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Bia
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001806:Blood Urea Nitrogen; D002927:Cimetidine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003404:Creatinine / Q000097:blood; D003524:Cyclosporins / Q000097:blood / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004347:Drug Interactions; D005260:Female; D005919:Glomerular Filtration Rate / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D007668:Kidney / Q000187:drug effects / Q000503:physiopathology; D007677:Kidney Function Tests; D016030:Kidney Transplantation; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011899:Ranitidine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014556:Urine / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D003524:Cyclosporins; D002927:Cimetidine; D011899:Ranitidine; D003404:Creatinine