Severe toxicity and cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 mRNA increase by lithium in the neonatal mouse kidney

Wataru Yoshioka, Toshiya Akagi, Noriko Nishimura, Hana Shimizu, Chiho Watanabe, Chiharu Tohyama
2009 Journal of Toxicological Sciences  
Functions of the kidney of mammals are immature during the neonatal period, and the neonatal kidney could be susceptible to chemicals, including drugs and environmental toxicants. Among these chemicals, cyclooxygenase (COX)-inducing chemicals should be given attentions as the potential kidney toxicants during the period, and we hypothesized that lithium chloride (LiCl) has such toxicity. Neonatal mice of C57BL/J strain were intraperitoneally injected with LiCl (2 mmol/kg body weight) daily
more » ... 21 days of age, and examined on 7 days and 21 days of age. Neonatal treatment of LiCl caused a -LiCl-treated neonates died during the second week of age. Histological examination revealed renal cysts on day 7 and hydronephrosis on day 21. in the surviving neonates. The present results showed that the kidney of mouse neonates is vulnerable to lithium, and suggested the possibility that COX-2 upregulation is responsible for the severe renal toxicity including hydronephrosis.
doi:10.2131/jts.34.519 pmid:19797860 fatcat:4f2wjj2xkfbsnjmfrhipgqzoxa