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Updated: Jul 16, 2026
Development and Evaluation of a Rat Model of Full-Thickness Cartilage Defects
Published on: May 19, 2023
Effect of ciprofoxacin on growing cartilage in albino rat pups
Haji Muhammad Aslam Channa1, Muhammad Ashfaq, Shah Murad Mastoi
1Department of Anatomy, Muhammad Medical College, Mirpurkhas.
Insights
Post-natal administration of ciprofloxacin in rat pups caused growth plate retardation. This antibiotic exposure reduced limb length by inhibiting mitosis in the proliferative zone of growing cartilage.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric pharmacology
- Experimental toxicology
- Skeletal biology
Background:
- Quinolone antibiotic use in young individuals is controversial due to potential cartilage damage.
- Previous studies indicate fluoroquinolones are not recommended for children, citing arthropathy and adverse effects on growing cartilage.
- The specific impact of ciprofloxacin on the epiphyseal growth plate in young animals remains largely undocumented.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the risk of ciprofloxacin administration on growing cartilage.
- To evaluate the effects of early-life ciprofloxacin exposure on the epiphyseal growth plate in a Wistar albino rat pup model.
Main Methods:
- Newly born Wistar albino rat pups received intraperitoneal ciprofloxacin (20 mg/kg twice daily) from day 1 to 14 post-birth.
- Longitudinal sections of proximal long bones (humerus and femur) were analyzed histomorphometrically.
- Epiphyseal cartilage thickness was measured and compared between ciprofloxacin-treated and control groups.
Main Results:
- Ciprofloxacin administration led to a significant decrease in epiphyseal growth plate width: 10.43% in humerus and 4.72% in femur compared to controls.
- This reduction was attributed to decreased proliferative cell counts and smaller hypertrophic chondrocytes.
- The reserve zone of the growth plate also showed a marked reduction in thickness.
Conclusions:
- Post-natal ciprofloxacin exposure retards growth plate development by inhibiting mitosis in the proliferative zone.
- This inhibition affects the mean length of the humerus and femur, ultimately reducing limb length in rat pups.
Background:
Administration of quinolone therapy is controversial during growing age as stated by earlier worker. The flroquinolones are currently not indicated for young children, because of arthropathy and adverse effect on growing cartilage shown by studies. However the effects of ciprofloxacin on epiphyseal growth plate has remained undocumented. This study is therefore, undertaken to determine the risk of ciprofloxacin administration an growing cartilage by prospective experimental animal study model using Wistar albino rat pups.
Methods:
Ciprofloxacin was administered to newly born Wistar albino rat pups with a doze of 20 mg/kg body weight intraperitonealy twice a day from day-1 to day-14 after birth. The animals were sacrificed by deep ether anesthesia. The limbs were disarticulated from axial skeleton, soft tissue was removed. The intact bone mean length in millimeter of right and left humerus and femur was measured with the help of electronic vernier caliper and bones were fixed in 10% buffered farmalin. Decalcification was done in 10% nitric acid and 10% formic acid changes. After paraplast embeding, 4 microm thick longitudinal sections of the proximal long bones were cut by a rotary microtome. Routine staining with haemotoxylin and eosin was performed. Histomorphometry was done measuring the thickness of epiphyseal cartilage and was compared with similar value of control animals. The results were statistically analysed to find out the significance.
Results:
The ciprofloxacin induces a mordanting effect as abviated by increased basophilia. Our study reveales that cirprofloxacin administration in the newly born pups decreased the width of epiphyseal growth plate cartilage by 10.43% in humerus and 4.72% in femur as compared to the growth of control cartilage. The decrease in the width was brought about mainly by the reduced count of the proliferative cells in the proliferative zone and the diminuation in the average size of the hypertrophic condryocytes in the hypertrophic zone. The reserve zone has become markedly reduced in thickness.
Conclusion:
The ciprofloxacin post-natal administration effected growth plate retardation by inhibiting the mitosis in the proliferative zone and also effected the mean length of humora and femora leading to reduction in limb length of rat pups.