Hepatic and renal function in rats receiving immunotherapeutic doses of cyclosporin A

Adult Sprague--Dawley rats were given either 25 or 50 mg/kg cyclosporin A (Cy A) orally every 48 h during the course of an immune response to sheep red blood cells (SRBC). A profound reduction in serum haemagglutinin titres was observed at 7 and 14 days only in animals given 50 mg. Apart from a small transient elevation in transaminase levels there were no serological indications of impaired hepatic or renal function at either dose of Cy A. There was also no increase in urinary NAG (N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase) levels, indicating the absence of damage to renal tubular cells. These observations are consistent with the normal histological and ultrastructural findings in liver and kidney in this study.