Evaluation of histological changes induced by prednisolone and cyclophosphamide in some organs of male albino mice

Abstract

Prednisolone is a synthetic corticosteroid used to treat various diseases. It is known to be used to treat many conditions such as autoimmune diseases and asthma. Cyclophosphamide is a type of nitrogen mustard therapy that works by alkylation of DNA and is used as an immunosuppressant in rheumatoid arthritis and the treatment of many cancers as well. Due to the wide use of these two drugs, the study aimed to evaluate the histological changes in the liver, kidneys, and small intestine of mice. Seventy-five adult mice aged 8-12 weeks were used which were divided into three groups, the first group was orally dosed with 0.1 mg/kg prednisolone, the second group was orally dosed with 0.1 mg/kg cyclophosphamide, and the third group received orally distilled water for 30 days daily. After 24 hours of the last treatment, the animals were sacrificed and the organs (liver, kidney, small intestine) were taken out and placed in 10% formalin solution until histological techniques were performed. The results of the study showed a statically significant difference at P>0.05 of histological changes in the studied organs represented by necrosis, fibrosis, cell degeneration, congestion, and hemorrhage of blood vessels and inflammatory cells when compared with the control group, and that the highest significant difference for these changes was at grade 1 and 2. Our study confirms that these drugs cause histological changes that differed in severity between organs as well as within a single organ when compared to the control group and that cyclophosphamide causes more histological changes than prednisolone.