Background: The knee joint cavity starts to develop in the intrauterine life from mesenchymal progenitor at the interzone. Ciprofloxacin is one of fluorinated derivatives of quinolone which has a broad spectrum bactericidal activity. Ciprofloxacin induces damage of the epiphyseal growth plate during early post-natal developmental phase resulting in irreversible bone damage and growth inhibition.
Aim of the work: is to study the prenatal and postnatal development of the knee joint cavity in albino rat and detect the effect of ciprofloxacin on the articular cartilage of knee joint and epiphyseal growth plate cartilage of femur and tibia . The study also evaluates the possible protective role of vitamin E .It also detects the possible reversible effects of ciprofloxacin after drug stoppage.
Material and methods: Eighteen pregnant rats were divided into two groups: (Ι) Developmental groups: pregnant rats sacrificed at 16th, 18th, 20th days of gestation. (П) Experimental groups: These groups consist of a Control group and Ciprofloxacin treated groups: The ciprofloxacin treated groups were divided into four subgroups. Ciprofloxacin Treated pups subgroup: received 20 mg/kg/day ciprofloxacin for 14 days. Ciprofloxacin Treated rats subgroup: Rats aged 5weeks received 20 mg/kg/day ciprofloxacin for 14 days. Ciprofloxacin plus vitamin E subgroup: Rats aged 5 weeks received 20 mg/kg/day ciprofloxacin in addition to 100 mg/kg/ day of vitamin E for 14 days. Ciprofloxacin withdrawal subgroup: Rats aged 5 weeks received 20 mg/kg/day ciprofloxacin for 14 days then left to live for 30 days after Ciprofloxacin stoppage then rats were sacrificed
Results: the knee joint cavity started to appear on the 16th day of intrauterine life in the interzone and completed on the 20th day of intrauterine life. Ciprofloxacin caused erosions and cavitations of the articular cartilage and the epiphyseal growth plate of the femur and tibia by light microscopy and chondrocytes degeneration by electron microscopy. After giving vitamin E with Ciprofloxacin, the articular cartilage of the femoral condyle was affected only by cavitations of deep zone with little sign of degeneration by electron microscopy. After stopping of Ciprofloxacin for 30 days we found persistence of its effect on growing articular cartilage and epiphyseal growth plate.
Conclusion: the knee joint cavity started to appear at the interzone on the 16th day of I.U.L. and completed on the 20th day of I.U.L. Ciprofloxacin causes a toxic effect on the growing cartilage. Vitamin E partially minimize the toxic effect of Ciprofloxacin. The toxic effects of Ciprofloxacin is irreversible after stoppage of this drug.
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