Effect of Duration of Treatment on Ciprofloxacin Induced Arthropathy in Young Rats

Objective: The present study was undertaken to further evaluate the adverse effect potential of ciprofloxacin to induce arthropathy in rats with reference to its duration of treatment. Methods: Groups of one month old young rats were administered intraperitoneally 80 mg/kg/day of ciprofloxacin daily for 15, 30 or 45 days. Control group received normal saline. At the end of treatment period, one third of animals in each group were subjected to whole body plain X-ray, serum alkaline phosphatase estimation and histopathological examiniation of the hind limb knee joints. After 15 days of treatment, another set of the animals in each group were subjected to the same investigations. Results: There was no radiological evidence of arthropathic changes seen in any of the groups but there was elevation of serum alkaline phosphatase in drug treated groups which returned to normal after stopping the treatment. Histo-pathological changes were minimal, moderate and severe in the groups treated for 15, 30 and 45 days respectively. However, these changes reverted to normal after stopping the therapy. Conclusion: In this study significant reversible arthropathy was observed in young animals, only when ciprofloxacin was administered in very high doses for more than 15 days.