GENTAMYCIN INDUCED NEPHROTOXICITY IN ALBINO MICE

Twelve, male albino mice, aged 6-8 weeks, were injected intraperitoneally, aqueous solution of gentamicin (80 mg / kg / day) for fifteen days and the effects observed on the kidney structure and function. Group A served as control while Group B was given gentamicin. At the end of the experiment, blood was drawn from each animal by cardiac puncture for renal function tests and kidneys were fixed for histological studies. In group B, values of serum urea (66.40 ± 0.54 mg/dl) and serum creatinine (1.41 ± 0.08 mg/dl) were significantly increased (p 0.001) when compared with control group A (34.73 ± 0.84 and 0.53 ± 0.04 mg/dl respectively). Both body weight (p 0.001) and kidney weight (p 0.05) decreased significantly in gentamicin treated groups. In histological preparations from group B, the proximal convoluted tubules in cortex were dilated and their epithelial cells showed hydropic changes with cytoplasmic vacuolations in some areas. Loss of brush border, patchy necrosis, presence of cellular debris and accumulation of inflammatory exudates within lumina of proximal convoluted tubules were also observed. The renal medulla from group B, showed an increase in intraluminal tubular protein casts. Chi-square test showed statistically significant (p 0.001) association between tubular necrosis and tubular casts. It is concluded that gentamycin is nephrotoxic in albino mice.