The intrinsic or the extrinsic pathways of apoptosis in the epidermis after cladribine application?

摘要

Purpose: This study was aimed to assess the expression of caspase 8 and caspase 9 in the epidermis, during apoptosis after cladribine administration. Materials and Methods: The experiment was carried on 10 Wistar rats. The animals were placed into 2 groups: control group and experimental group. Animals in the control group, in addition to standard feed and water, were injected with a physiological salt in a quantity corresponding to the drug dosage, over the course of the experiment. The experimental group animals were treated with cladribine in the dose of 0.07 mg/kg/24h, for 6 consecutive days in the morning, in 3 cycles with a 5-week gap in administering the drug. After the completion of the experiment, the animals were decapitated, and full thickness slices of skin were taken from all the rats for immunohisto- chemical study. The results of the statistical surveys were analysed in Statistica 10.0. The difference in intensity of expression of caspase 9 and caspase 8 in the groups were investigated using the Chiquadrat test. Statistical significance was considered at p < 0.05. Results: The statistical analysis found significant correlation in expression of caspase 9 between examined groups (p < 0.0001). There were no statistical relationships in the presence of the expression of caspase 8 between examined groups (p = 0.0526). Conclusion: Our findings suggest that mechanism of apoptosis in the rats’ epidermis, induced by cladribine given in the scheme used in the treatment of MS in humans, involves caspase 9 activity. This means that 2-CdA initiates the intrinsic apoptosis pathway.