ABSTRACT
This work aimed to study the ultrastructural changes in the muscles of
adult and cartilage of juvenile (immature) albino rats due to levofloxacin
(LEVO) administration. This study was applied on 40 normal healthy albino
rats of both sexes, divided into two main groups. The first group included20
adult rats and the second group20 juvenile rats. Each group was subdivided
into, control group (5) rats, given distilled water and 0.5% carboxy methyl
cellulose, orally by gastric tube(single daily dose) four 4 weeks, and treated
group(15) rats given 150 mg/kg body weight of LEVO orally by gastric tube
(single daily dose )which equals 1/10th LD50 of LEVO Live rats from thern
treated group were sacrificed, after ,two weeks& five after four weeks of the
drug administration, and five rats four weeks after cessation of the drug. Then
quadriceps femoris and calf muscles were collected from adult rats and
cartilage of the head and distal portion of the femur of immature rats were
taken. The samples taken were processed for electron microscopic (EM)
preparation and examination. The results showed that, structural changes in the
skeletal muscles of adult rats were in the form of presence of several large
vacuoles in the muscle fibers, perinuclear degeneration in the form of large
vacuole beneath the sarcolemmal membrane and some inflammatory cell
infiltration. These changes disappeared 4 weeks after cessation of the drug.
Also the results showed changes in the cartilage of the juvenile rats, the
nucleus of the chondrocyte appeared dark with irregular outline. Also, the
cytoplasm appeared degenerated, with vacuolation, swollen mitochondria,
thickened fragmented rough endoplasmic reticulum, lysosomal and peroxisomal
contents. Most of the previous changes in the juvenile cartilage persist after 4
weeks of cessation of the drug. It can be concluded that, levofloxacin produce
reversible toxic effects on the muscles of adult rats and irreversible toxic
effects on the cartilage of juvenile rats. |
