Title:Renal Alterations Induced by Chronic Exposure to Therapeutic Doses of Antihypercholestremic Atorvastatin
Volume: 21
Issue: 11
Author(s): Amin Al-Doaiss, Yazun Jarrar, Ali Shati, Mohammad Alfaifi, Mohammed Al-Kahtani and Bashir Jarrar*
Affiliation:
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Jerash University, Jerash,Jordan
Keywords:
Atorvastatin, statins, histopathology, kidney, ultrastructural alterations, anti-hypercholestremia.
Abstract:
Background: Atorvastatin (ATOR) is widely used for the treatment and prevention of hypercholesterolemia
and various diseases, such as cardiovascular complications, with little data about
the histopathological and ultrastructural renal alterations that might be induced by this drug.
Objectives: The present study was undertaken to investigate the potential toxicity of therapeutic doses
of atorvastatin on the microanatomy and ultrastructure of renal tissues from Wistar albino rats.
Methods: Adult male Wistar albino rats received an oral daily dose of 5 mg/kg bodyweight for 90
consecutive days. Biopsies from both kidneys of each study rat were taken for histopathological and
ultrastructural examination.
Results: ATOR-treated rats exhibited glomerular, tubular, and interstitial histological alterations, including
degeneration, necrosis, hyaline droplets, edema, cortical hemorrhages, mesangial hypercellularity,
and blood capillary dilation and congestion. In addition, ATOR exposure increased the activity
of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase and alkaline phosphatase with a concurrent reduction in proteins
and neutral mucosubstances content of the glomeruli and renal cells. Moreover, ATOR-treated
animals demonstrated glomerular ultrastructural alterations, consisting mainly of capillary tuft dilatation,
glomerular basement membrane thickening, and mesangial cell proliferation. The renal cells of
the proximal tubules demonstrated damaged mitochondria, degenerative cellular changes, endoplasmic
reticulum dilatation, lysosomal and autophagosome activation, nuclear alteration, myelin figure formation,
and microvilli disorganization.
Conclusion: The findings of the present work may indicate that ATOR can induce renal histological,
histochemical, and ultrastructural alterations that may affect kidney and other vital organ functions.