Preventive effect of pentoxifylline on renal scarring in rat model of pyelonephritis.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the efficiency of pentoxifylline (PTX), a methyl xanthine derivative, in preventing renal scar formation after the induction of pyelonephritis in an experimental rat model with delayed antimicrobial therapy.


METHODS
An inoculum of 1 x 10(9) colony-forming units/0.1 mL of the K-12 strain of Escherichia coli, which has both type 1 and P pili, was injected directly into both renal parenchyma of Wistar rats (n = 40). Group 1 (control) received isotonic saline instead of bacterial solution (n = 10). Four equal groups were then formed: group 2 was not treated and group 3 was treated only with ciprofloxacin for 5 days, starting 3 days after bacterial inoculation; in group 4, 50 mg/kg of PTX, and in group 5, PTX (50 mg/kg) and ciprofloxacin (15 mg/kg) together were administered intraperitoneally for 5 days, starting 3 days after bacterial inoculation. Six weeks after bacterial inoculation, all the rats were killed, and both kidneys were examined histopathologically for renal scarring.


RESULTS
Delayed treatment with antibiotics had no effect on scarring compared with the untreated controls. However, the addition of PTX to the delayed antibiotic therapy significantly inhibited renal scarring compared with the untreated or antibiotic-only groups (P <0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
These results suggest that PTX is effective in preventing renal scar formation in pyelonephritis when the initiation of antimicrobial treatment is delayed in this rat model of pyelonephritis.
Department of Pediatric Surgery, University of Ankara School of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey.
Aydin
A
Yagmurlu
M Emin
ME
Boleken
Dilek
D
Ertoy
Murat
M
Ozsan
I Haluk
IH
Gokcora
Huseyin
H
Dindar
D000208:Acute Disease; D000818:Animals; D002921:Cicatrix / Q000517:prevention & control*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000187:drug effects / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004927:Escherichia coli Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007668:Kidney / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology*; D010431:Pentoxifylline / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011704:Pyelonephritis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000187:drug effects
D010431:Pentoxifylline