Protective effect of pentoxifylline on growth plate in neonatal rats following long-term phototherapy
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Published on: November 20, 2015
Mehmet Emre Atabek1, Ozgur Pirgon, H Hasan Esen
1Department of Pediatric Endocrinology, School of Medicine, Selcuk University, 42080 Konya, Turkey. meatbek@hotmail.com
Insights
Long-term phototherapy impairs neonatal rat growth plates, but pentoxifylline treatment may mitigate this injury. This study investigated pentoxifylline
Area of Science:
- Neonatal physiology
- Pharmacology
- Histomorphometry
Background:
- Long-term phototherapy is linked to growth plate structure impairment in neonatal rats.
- Oxidative stress is a potential key factor in phototherapy-induced growth plate injury.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the histomorphometric impact of pentoxifylline on the growth plate in neonatal rats undergoing phototherapy.
- To determine if pentoxifylline can counteract phototherapy-induced growth plate damage.
Main Methods:
- Sixty Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into three groups: control, phototherapy only, and phototherapy with pentoxifylline.
- Phototherapy was administered for 7 days.
- Histomorphometric analysis of growth plate zonal lengths and plasma malondialdehyde levels were assessed.
Main Results:
- Phototherapy significantly reduced growth plate zonal lengths compared to controls.
- Pentoxifylline treatment significantly increased growth plate zonal lengths compared to the phototherapy-only group.
- Plasma malondialdehyde levels, an indicator of oxidative stress, were significantly higher in the phototherapy-only group.
Conclusions:
- Pentoxifylline demonstrates potential in reducing phototherapy's adverse effects on neonatal rat growth plates.
- Low-dose pentoxifylline may offer a protective strategy against phototherapy-induced growth plate injury.
Abstract:
We demonstrated previously that receiving long-term phototherapy was associated with early impairment of growth plate structure in neonatal rats, and oxidative stress may be the main risk factor for growth plate injury. The purpose of this study was to examine the histomorphometric effects of pentoxifylline treatment on the growth plate. Sixty weanling Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly separated into three equal groups. Group A, the control group, did not receive phototherapy and pentoxifylline. Groups B and C were exposed to phototherapy for 7 d. In addition to phototherapy, group C was also given pentoxifylline during the study period. Compared with zonal lengths on d 7 after initiation of phototherapy, group B had significantly lower values than group A for all zonal lengths (p < 0.001). Zonal lengths of growth plate were increased significantly with pentoxifylline treatment in group C for 7 d compared with group B (p < 0.001). After phototherapy, group B had significantly higher values than groups A and C for plasma malondialdehyde levels (p < 0.001). The pentoxifylline was found here to have some potential to reduce the effects of phototherapy on growth plate in neonatal rats at a relatively low dose.
