title: The influence of intrauterine exposure to immunosuppressive treatment on changes in the immune system in juvenile Wistar rats.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In our study, we assessed the impact of immunosuppressive drug combinations on changes in the immune system of juvenile Wistar rats exposed to these drugs during pregnancy. We primarily concentrated on changes in two organs of the immune system - the thymus and the spleen.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study was conducted on 40 (32+8) female Wistar rats administered full and half dose of drugs, respectively, subjected to regimens commonly used in therapy of human kidney transplant recipients ([1] cyclosporine A, mycophenolate mofetil, and prednisone; [2] tacrolimus, mycophenolate mofetil, and prednisone; [3] cyclosporine A, everolimus, and prednisone). The animals received drugs by oral gavage 2 weeks before pregnancy and during 3 weeks of pregnancy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were no statistically significant differences in the weight of the thymus and spleen, but changes were found in the results of blood hematology, cytometry from the spleen, and a histologic examination of the examined immune organs of juvenile Wistar rats. In the cytokine assay, changes in the level of interleukine 17 (IL-17) after increasing amounts of concanavaline A were dose-dependent; the increase of IL-17 was blocked after administration of higher doses of immunosuppressive drugs. However, after a reduction of doses, its increase resumed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Qualitative, quantitative, and morphological changes in the immune system of infant rats born to pharmacologically immunosuppressed females were observed. Thymus structure, spleen composition, and splenocyte IL-17 production were mostly affected in a drug regimen-dependent manner.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nephrology, Transplantology and Internal Medicine.
authors.forename: Joanna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kabat-Koperska
authors.affiliation: Department of Histology and Embryology.
authors.forename: Agnieszka
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kolasa-Wołosiuk
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunological Diagnostics.
authors.forename: Bartosz
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wojciuk
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunological Diagnostics.
authors.forename: Iwona
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Wojciechowska-Koszko
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunological Diagnostics.
authors.forename: Paulina
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Roszkowska
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunological Diagnostics.
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Krasnodębska-Szponder
authors.affiliation: Department of General Pathology.
authors.forename: Edyta
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Paczkowska
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Medical Chemistry, Pomeranian Medical University, Szczecin, Poland.
authors.forename: Krzysztof
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Safranow
authors.affiliation: Department of Nephrology, Transplantology and Internal Medicine.
authors.forename: Edyta
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gołembiewska
authors.affiliation: Department of General Pathology.
authors.forename: Bogusław
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Machaliński
authors.affiliation: Department of Nephrology, Transplantology and Internal Medicine.
authors.forename: Kazimierz
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ciechanowski
mesh_terms: D000282:Administration, Intravaginal; D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D007107:Immune System / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology*; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013154:Spleen / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D014599:Uterus
chemical_list: D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents
keywords: Wistar rats; immune system; immunosuppressive drugs; kidney transplantation; pregnancy