Morphological study of the renal corpuscles under the effect of long-term alpha interferon therapy : an experimental study on rats

Abstract EN

Introduction: The alpha interferon has been increasingly used in the treatment of many types of malignancies.

Recently, its lise in the management of hepatitis B and c virus infections.

has been emphasized many interrogations about its role in the production of pathological changes in the kidney have been raised.

Purpose: the present study was undertaken to clarify the light three-dimensional ultrastructure alteration in the kidney of vat after long-term alpha interferon administration.

Methods: twenty-four rats were used in this study, where they were divided into two groups.

The rats of the first group were injected with alpha interferon( 150000 units/Kg body weight) subcutaneously for five weeks, while the rats of the other group were used as control.

Results: many and diversity of morphological changes was observed in the surface features of both glomeruli and Bowman’s capsules following alpha interferon administration.

Also, changes of the podocyte cell bodies and their foot processes as well as in the parietal epithelial cells of the Bowman' capsules were noted.

These abnormal changes might account for the altered glomerular function that occurred after alpha interferon treatment.

conclusion: the alpha interferon per se could produce renal damage.

Therefore, attention should be paid to the dose and duration of its use in the different conditions.