Late effects of adriamycin single dose on fetal rat kidney-ultrastructural assessment

The purpose of the study was ultrastructural evaluation of long-lasting activity of an antibiotic from anthracycline group-adriamycin (ADR), on fetal kidneys from rat females which 4 weeks before fertilization were given a single dose of adriamycin intraperitoneally. The results showed the damage of glomerular filtration barrier (fusion of podocytes' foot processes) and degenerative lesions in tubular epithelial cells (EC). Those changes were described in literature in the case of adriamycin induced nephrotic syndrome in adult rats. If those lesions are due to increased glomerular permeability for proteins or cytotoxic activity of adriamycin can be decided after further biochemical tests of fetal urine and blood.