title: Dose-dependent immunohistochemical and ultrastructural changes after oral methylphenidate administration in rat heart tissue.
abstract: Methylphenidate, more commonly known as Ritalin, is a piperidine derivative and is the drug most often used to treat attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, one of the most common behavioural disorders of children and young adults. Our aims were to investigate dose-dependent immunohistochemical D2 expression and ultrastructural changes of the rat heart tissue, and to demonstrate possible toxicity of the long-term and high dose use of the methylphenidate. In this study, 27 female pre-pubertal Wistar albino rats, divided into three different dose groups (5, 10 and 20 mg/kg) and their control groups, were used. They were treated orally with methylphenidate dissolved in saline solution for 5 days/week during 3 months. At the end of the third month, after perfusion fixation, left ventricle of cardiac tissue was removed. Paraffin, semi-thin and thin sections were collected and immunohistochemical, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated Dig-dUTP nick end labelling assay and ultrastructural studies were performed. In conclusion, we believe that Ritalin is dose-related affecting dopaminergic system to increase heart rhythm and contraction. Thus, this drug may cause degenerative ultrastructural changes in mitochondrial path.
authors.affiliation: Department of Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Gazi, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Take
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bahcelioglu
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Oktem
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tunc
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gözil
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Erdogan
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Calguner
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Helvacioglu
authors.forename: S G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Giray
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Elmas
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D006321:Heart / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000187:drug effects*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry / Q000662:veterinary; D008774:Methylphenidate / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009206:Myocardium / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
chemical_list: D008774:Methylphenidate