Histopathological Effects of Duovir-N on the Cerebellum of Wistar Rats

Abstract

DouvirR-N™ is a combination of three drugs (lamivudine, zidovudine, and nevirapine) used for pre-exposure prophylaxis and management of human immunodeficiency virus infection in sub-Saharan Africa. The objective of this study was to investigate the potential harmful effects of this drug on the histology of the cerebellum of Wistar rats. Twenty male Wistar rats were divided into two groups of 10 rats. Group A served as the control, while group B was treated with 9.28 mg/kg of Duovir-N™ twice daily for 30 days. The rats were sacrificed and their cerebellum harvested and processed to wax. Sections were stained with Hematoxylin and Eosin, by silver impregnation and for immunohistochemistry to detect neuron-specific enolase (NSE). Stained slides were viewed under a light microscope. Results showed that the cerebellum of Group B was affected with moderate to severe shrinkage including distortion of the Purkinje cells, compared to that of the control Group A. NSE was also detected in the cerebellum of group B. We conclude that the drug Duovir-N™ may be harmful to the cerebellum and should therefore not be abused by sex workers. It should be prescribed with cytoprotective agents.