IMR Press / CEOG / Volume 40 / Issue 3 / pii/1630388296236-1439675768

Clinical and Experimental Obstetrics & Gynecology (CEOG) is published by IMR Press from Volume 47 Issue 1 (2020). Previous articles were published by another publisher on a subscription basis, and they are hosted by IMR Press on imrpress.com as a courtesy and upon agreement with S.O.G.

Original Research
Effects of combined zidovudine/lopinavir/ritonavir therapy during rat pregnancy: morphological aspects
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1 Department of Obstetrics, São Paulo Federal University (UNIFESP), São Paulo
2 Department of Maternal and Child Health, University José do Rosário Velano, Alfenas
3 Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, São Paulo University (USP), São Paulo, SP, Brazil
4 Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, São Paulo University (USP), São Paulo, SP (Brazil)
Clin. Exp. Obstet. Gynecol. 2013, 40(3), 345–349;
Published: 10 September 2013
Abstract

Purpose: To evaluate the morphological aspects in rats subjected to an association of the antiretroviral drugs zidovudine/lopinavir/ritonavir in different doses administered throughout the gestational period. Materials and Methods: Forty pregnant rats were randomly allocated into four groups: control (Ctrl) and experimental (Exp1, Exp2, and Exp3), which received zidovudine/lopinavir/ritonavir in the doses of 10/13.3/3.3, 30/39.9/9.9, and 90/119.7/29.7 mg/kg per day from the first to the 20th day of pregnancy, respectively. At term, the animals were euthanized and maternal and fetal organ samples were removed for morphological analysis. Results: No major changes were identified in the group treated with the lowest dosing compared with the control. In group Exp2, the authors found hepatocytes with eosinophilic cytoplasm, pyknotic nuclei, and vasodilation. The proximal convoluted tubules of maternal kidneys showed eosinophilic areas and hyperchromatic nuclei, as well as signs of vasodilation. In the group treated with the highest dose (Exp3); the morphological changes in the maternal kidneys and livers were similar and more pronounced than those found in Exp2. The maternal pancreas of groups Exp2 and Exp3 evidenced moderate and progressive signs of tissue damage. The morphological features of all fetal livers, kidneys, and pancreases were normal. Conclusion: High doses of zidovudine/lopinavir/ritonavir association during the entire rat pregnancy period can cause definite morphological changes in maternal liver, kidneys, and pancreas. On the other hand, the corresponding fetal organs were not affected.
Keywords
Zidovudine
Lopinavir
Ritonavir
Toxicology
Pregnancy
Rats
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