Anti-Leishmanial drug Pentostam induced histological changes to liver and kidney in male BALB/c wild mice

Leishmaniasis is still a complex disease of (sub) tropical regions of the world caused by Leishmania spp. Antimonial pentostam is an anti-leishmaniasis drug used medically and it is the primary drug employed against leishmaniasis in Libya. It has multiple acute and chronic adverse effects which can be minimized by using the lowest effective dose. This work aimed to investigate the histological changes in the liver and kidneys affected by different doses of pentostam. Adult male of BALB/c wild mice was divided into four groups, 6 mice of each, and i.p. injected with 10mg/kg, 20mg/kg, and 40mg/kg pentostam in addition to a control group. After 28 therapeutic days and finishing the histological procedure to examine the collected tissue specimens, the obtained results of the liver tissue ranged from demonstrating cytoplasmic vacuoles, to hydropic degeneration, focal and hepatocytic necrosis, and lastly irregular area of hepatocytes with condensed pyknotic nuclei (hepatocyte necrosis). As well, the histological examination of kidney tissue ranged between demonstrating mild cloudy swelling (reversible hydropic degeneration), showed stromal aggregates of inflammatory cells (nephritis), and lastly showed renal tubule casts and necrosis. In a final conclusion, there are clear histological changes in the liver and kidneys, which had been seen in this study, which are dose-dependent changes.