[Effects of cicletanine on kidney lesions associated with age. Light and electron microscopy studies]

Aging laboratory animals constantly present with chronic progressive nephrosis. The purpose of this study was to investigate the protective effect of a chronic treatment with cicletanine in aging rats, notably as regards kidneys. Sixteen Wistar rats aged 26 months were divided into two groups: one group served as control, while the other received oral cicletanine 30 mg/kg/day. Blood pressure, weight and death rate were recorded. No rise of arterial pressure was observed in either group. The rats were killed on day 151, i.e. aged 31 months, after 5 months of treatment. All were autopsied and their kidneys, heart, lungs, liver, brain and eyes were removed for examination. Light microscopy of the renal tissue showed the lesions described in the chronic progressive nephrosis of the aging rat. These lesions were diffuse and pronounced in the control group and minimal in treated rats. The difference was confirmed by electron microscopy. The basal membrane of renal tubules was slightly thickened in the treated rats and two or three times thicker in control rats. Mitochondrial alterations were observed in the proximal tubules of controls but not in those of rats treated with cicletanine. Thus, after a 5-months treatment with cicletanine aging Wistar rats well known for their renal pathology were protected against kidney lesions in contrast with untreated rats.