Nephrotoxicity of 5-fluorouracil in male mice and the probable protective role of vitamin c [electronic resource]: Histological and ultrastructural studies

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The present study investigated the probable protective role of vitamin C in alleviating 5-fluorouracil (5-FU)-induced nephro-toxicity
in male mice (Mus musculus). Thirty male CD-1 mice were equally divided into three groups: Group I (the control group), received 0.9% NaCl;
group II, received intraperitoneally (i.p.) 80 mg 5-FU/kg body weight (b.wt)/day for four weeks; group III, received (i.p.) 80 mg 5-FU
plus 12 mg vitamin C/kg b.wt/day for four weeks. Animals of all groups were killed at the end of the experiment, and the renal tissue samples
were taken and processed for light and electron microscopical examinations. Light microscopic observations revealed that administration of
5-FU caused erosion of the parietal cells of Bowman's capsules, widening of the urinary spaces, and disruption of the glomerular
capillaries and hemorrhage. The cells of the proximal and distal tubules exhibited vacuolar degeneration and coagulative necrosis.
The nuclei of these cells manifested pyknosis and karyolysis. Ultrastructural examination revealed damage of the parietal epithelium
of Bowman's capsules with fusion and destruction of the foot processes of the podocytes. The cells of the proximal tubules displayed
destruction of the microvilli constituting the brush borders and degeneration of the mitochondria. The distal tubules displayed destruction
of both the basal infoldings and the mitochondria with fragmentation of the rough endoplasmic reticulum. Histological and ultrastructural results
revealed that the treatment with vitamin C simultaneously with 5-FU led to apparent protection of the renal tissue. This might suggest that vitamin C
has a protective potential against 5-FU-induced nephrotoxicity.
5-Fluorouracil
CD-1 mice
Nephrotoxicity
Ultrastructure
Vitamin C

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