title: Pulmonary emphysema induced by methylphenidate: experimental study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Methylphenidate is the most widely used drug for treating attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. However, it has important side effects, such as abdominal pain, insomnia, anorexia and loss of appetite, and also some cases of early severe emphysema after drug abuse have been reported. Our aim was to investigate the development of pulmonary emphysema in rats that were subjected to different doses of methylphenidate.
  
  
  METHODS
  Experimental study carried out at the laboratory of a public university.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighteen male Wistar rats were divided into three groups: control (0.9% saline solution); MP 0.8 (methylphenidate, 0.8 mg/kg); MP 1.2 (methylphenidate, 1.2 mg/kg). After 90 days of daily gavage, the animals were sacrificed and lung tissue samples were prepared for analysis on the mean alveolar diameter (Lm).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The Lm was greater in MP 0.8 (47.91 ± 3.13; P < 0.01) and MP 1.2 (46.36 ± 4.39; P < 0.05) than in the control group (40.00 ± 3.48).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Methylphenidate caused an increase in the alveolar diameter of rats, which was compatible with human pulmonary emphysema.
authors.affiliation: Hospital Regional de Mato Grosso do Sul, Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brasil.
authors.forename: Gabriel Victor Guimarães
authors.initials: GV
authors.lastname: Rapello
authors.affiliation: Faculdade de Medicina (FAMED), Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul (UFMS), Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brasil.
authors.forename: Andréia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Antoniolli
authors.affiliation: Hospital Regional de Mato Grosso do Sul, Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brasil.
authors.forename: Daniel Martins
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Pereira
authors.affiliation: Universidade Anhanguera-Uniderp, Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brasil.
authors.forename: Gilberto
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Facco
authors.affiliation: Instituto do Coração (InCor), Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brasil.
authors.forename: Paulo Manuel
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Pêgo-Fernandes
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Thoracic Surgery Research, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo (FMUSP), São Paulo, Brasil.
authors.forename: Rogério
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pazetti
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000188:drug therapy; D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D008168:Lung / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008774:Methylphenidate / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects*; D009929:Organ Size / Q000187:drug effects; D011650:Pulmonary Alveoli / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D011656:Pulmonary Emphysema / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000473:pathology; D017208:Rats, Wistar
chemical_list: D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants; D008774:Methylphenidate