Ultrastructural Studies on the Effect of Captopril and Furosemide on Some Organs of Albino Swiss Mice

摘要

The main purpose of the present study was to determine the mechanism by which captopril induces its toxic effect. The study also aimed to determine whether furosemide (a diuretic drug) inhibits or promotes the side effects produced by captopril administration. Two dose levels of captopril were used; low dose (0.01 mg for six days a week, for four weeks) and a high dose (0.23 mg for six days a week, for four weeks). Captopril produced changes in behavioral and external features, changes in the cytological picture of liver and kidney and damage of the cardiac muscle fibers. These changes were found to be statistically proportional to the dose used. Another two groups were studied. One of these groups received the low captopril dose only with furosemide (0.02 mg) and the other received the high captopril dose only with the same furosemide dose for the same period of treatment. Furosemide (0.02 mg) inhibited the decrease in the body weight loss induced by the admission of captopril alone (at both dose levels). It also decreased the mortality rate in mice, but it failed to inhibit the cyto-pathological alterations induced by captopril administration. Despite of the observed damaging effect of the drugs under investigation, they are commonly used as antihypertensive drugs.