Histological examination on Achilles tendon lesions induced by quinolone antibacterial agents in juvenile rats

We examined the effects of the quinolone antibacterial agents pefloxacin (PFLX) and ofloxacin (OFLX) on the Achilles tendon of Sprague-Dawley rats. A single oral administration of PFLX 300 and 900 mg/kg or OFLX 900 mg/kg induced edema with mononuclear cell infiltration mainly in the inner sheath of the inner Achilles tendon just proximal to the tuber calcanei in rats killed on the next day. Cell infiltration was also seen in the adjacent synovial membrane and joint space. With progression of severity, the lesions extended to the surface tendon tissue, wherein irregularly arranged collagen bundles were detached from each other and nuclei of fibroblasts were pyknotic and fragmented. After 2-wk repeated administration, these lesions were replaced by fibrotic foci with regenerated tendon fibroblasts, and the incidence and severity were reduced in the OFLX but not PFLX groups. Coadministration of cyclosporin A with OFLX 300 mg/kg induced these lesions despite the fact that neither induced lesions alone. The tendon lesions were induced in juvenile rats (4 wk of age) but not in young adults (12 wk). The articular cartilage of juvenile rats showed focal degeneration and/or cavitation in the tarsal joints after a single and 2-wk administration of PFLX or OFLX. Hydrocortisone slightly increased the incidence of OFLX-induced lesions in both the tendon and cartilage after a 2-wk administration. The occurrence of the tendon lesions is different from that of the Achilles tendon disorders reported in older humans, but they are thought to be a useful model for them.