Ultrastructural and morphometric alterations to the peripheral nerve following the administration of immunosuppressive agent tacrolimus (FK506).

Ultrastructural and morphometric alterations to the peripheral nerve following the administration of immunosuppressive agent tacrolimus (FK506). Ultrastruct Pathol. 2021 Feb 17;:1-6 Authors: Celikkan FT, Hayirli Ozyol N, Nakkas H, Evirgen O Abstract Tacrolimus, a widely used immunosuppressive drug for preventing graft rejection following organ transplantation, was reported to develop neurotoxic side effects ranging from mild to severe symptoms in the literature. Rats were randomly divided into three groups as control and 2-week and 3-week treatment groups and received a 2 mg/kg/day tacrolimus by oral gavage. Animals were sacrificed and sciatic nerves obtained from all groups were fixed and processed for light and electron microscopic investigations. The myelinated fiber diameter, axon diameter, G-ratio (axon diameter/myelinated fiber diameter), and myelin thickness were also determined. The data obtained in the control and tacrolimus-treated groups were compared. The control group sciatic nerve fascicles showed normal morphology with myelinated and unmyelinated fibers. Experimental groups exhibited axonal dilatation, irregularly thickened and vacuolated myelin sheaths with separation of myelin layers. The morphometric analysis showed that the myelinated fibers of the 2-week tacrolimus-treated group displayed a moderate increase in the myelin thickness and axon and fiber diameter in comparison with the control and 3-week tacrolimus-tr...
Source: Ultrastructural Pathology - Category: Pathology Authors: Tags: Ultrastruct Pathol Source Type: research