The effect of oxymetholone on the kidney tissues of one day old rats

Oxymetholone is a drug used by some athletes as energy booster. However, its overuse may result in disorders such as lung cancer, ovarian cycle irregularities, liver cancer and adenoma of renal tubules. The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of oxymetholone on kidney tissue of one-day offspring of pregnant rats. Material and Methods: In this experimental study, 30 pregnant rats were divided into control, sham and experiment groups. The experiment group and the sham group were respectively administered 10 mg oxymetholone and 10 mg dimethyl sulfo oxide intraperitoneally for 15 days. On first day after delivery, the neonates were weighed and dissected. Kidney weight, length, width, and thickness were measured. Subsequently, tissue sections were studied microscopically. Data were analyzed using one-way analysis of variance with SPSS software. Results: The findings indicate that fetal weight, kidney weight, length, width and thickness, glomerular diameter, and cortical and medullary thickness in the experiment group were significantly greater compared to the control group (P<0.05), while the diameter of the interglomerular space was diminished. Moreover, certain pathological changes, such as glomerular cell proliferation, necrosis of cortical tubules and cast formation inside tubules, were observed. Conclusion: Oxymetholone, at the dosage used in our study, induces pathological changes in kidney tissue, as well as increased body and kidney weight in rat neonates.