title: The effect of immunosuppressive therapy on renal cell apoptosis in native rat kidneys.
abstract: To analyse the impact of the most commonly used immunosuppressive drugs on the occurrence of apoptosis in the native kidneys of Wistar rats.
  
  
  
  The study involved 36 rats. the animals being grouped according to the immunosuppressive regimen used (tacrolimus, mycophenolate mofetil, cyclosporine A, rapamycin and prednisone). The rats in all study groups were treated with a 3-drug protocol for 6 months. The medication dose was adjusted based on available literature data. No drugs were administered to the control group. The rats were then killed. Autopsies of all animals were performed and the kidneys were isolated for histopathology (HE + PAS). To assess cell apoptosis the TUNEL reaction was performed. Blood trough levels of immunosuppressive drugs as well as the parameters of peripheral blood were determined.
  
  
  
  1. In rats treated with cyclosporine A distal nephron tubules were characterised by more pronounced apoptosis. 2. In tacrolimus-treated rats a lower intensity of apoptosis was found in the distal tubules. 3. In rapamycin-treated rats the apoptosis was inhibited both in the distal and proximal nephron tubules. 4. In MMF treated rats intense apoptosis was observed in the proximal nephron tubules. 5. There were no significant changes in renal histopathology (HE + PAS).
  
  
  
  The apoptosis in nephron tubules caused by immunosuppressive therapy is not accompanied by any histopathological changes (eg fibrosis, inflammation, tubular atrophy, vacuolation of the tubular cells) in light microscopy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nephrology, Transplantology and Internal Medicine, Pomeranian Medical University, Szczecin, Poland. karolina.kedzierska@interia.pl.
authors.forename: Karolina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kedzierska
authors.affiliation: Department of Dental Surgery, Pomeranian Medical University Pomeranian Medical University, Szczecin, Poland.
authors.forename: Katarzyna
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sporniak-Tutak
authors.affiliation: 3epartment of Histology and mbryology Pomeranian Medical University Pomeranian Medical University, Szczecin, Poland.
authors.forename: Agnieszka
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kolasa
authors.affiliation: Department of Nephrology, Transplantology and Internal Medicine, Pomeranian Medical University, Szczecin, Poland.
authors.forename: Lesze
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Domański
authors.affiliation: Department of Nephrology, Transplantology and Internal Medicine, Pomeranian Medical University, Szczecin, Poland.
authors.forename: Maciej
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Domański
authors.affiliation: Department of Dental Surgery, Pomeranian Medical University Pomeranian Medical University, Szczecin, Poland.
authors.forename: Krzysztof
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sindrewicz
authors.affiliation: Department of Dental Surgery, Pomeranian Medical University Pomeranian Medical University, Szczecin, Poland.
authors.forename: Tomasz
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Smektała
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Chemistry Pomeranian Medical University Pomeranian Medical University, Szczecin, Poland.
authors.forename: Joanna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bober
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry Pomeranian Medical University Pomeranian Medical University, Szczecin, Poland.
authors.forename: Krzysztof
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Safranow
authors.affiliation: Department of Nephrology, Transplantology and Internal Medicine, Pomeranian Medical University, Szczecin, Poland.
authors.forename: Bogumiła
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Osekowska
authors.affiliation: Department of Nephrology, Transplantology and Internal Medicine, Pomeranian Medical University, Szczecin, Poland.
authors.forename: Joanna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kabat-Koperska
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry Pomeranian Medical University Pomeranian Medical University, Szczecin, Poland.
authors.forename: Irena
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Baranowska-Bosiacka
authors.affiliation: Department of Forensic Medicine Pomeranian Medical University Pomeranian Medical University, Szczecin, Poland.
authors.forename: Mirosław
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Parafiniuk
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathomorphology Pomeranian Medical University Pomeranian Medical University, Szczecin, Poland.
authors.forename: Elźbieta
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Urasińska
authors.affiliation: Department of Nephrology, Transplantology and Internal Medicine, Pomeranian Medical University, Szczecin, Poland.
authors.forename: Kazimierz
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ciechanowski
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D016572:Cyclosporine / Q000494:pharmacology; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007668:Kidney / Q000187:drug effects*; D008297:Male; D009173:Mycophenolic Acid / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology; D011241:Prednisone / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D020123:Sirolimus / Q000494:pharmacology; D016559:Tacrolimus / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D016572:Cyclosporine; D009173:Mycophenolic Acid; D011241:Prednisone; D020123:Sirolimus; D016559:Tacrolimus