[The pancreatic toxicity of cyclosporin A. An experimental study in rats]

Animal experiments were conducted to elucidate effects of cyclosporine A (CsA) treatment on pancreas. A daily dose of 15 mg/kg B.W. of cyclosporine A was orally administered to recipient animals (rats), over a period of 28 days. Both endocrinic and exocrinic pancreas tissues were morphometrically investigated, using optical light microscopy and electron microscopy. Increase in the exocrinic pancreas portion in response to cyclosporine A treatment was suggested by these morphometric findings. Disorders in the exocrinic pancreas were additionally revealed by electron microscopy. Some of the mitochondria exhibited degenerative alterations, while decline in matrix density as well as separation or rupture of mitochondrial cristae were recorded from others. The assumption might be derived from these results that even therapeutic CsA doses were capable of inflicting disorders on mitochondrial functionally and thus of generating toxic action.