Experimental acute tubulointerstitial disease caused by cimetidine

Cimetidine is a histamine H2-receptor antagonist that is among the most widely prescribed drugs in the world. In addition to its inhibitory action on gastric acid secretion, a possible role in kidney tubulointerstitial disease has been suggested. Isolated reports have also suggested an association between cimetidine administration and acute interstitial nephritis. The present study examined the effect of cimetidine on renal function in the rat. The nine rats used in this study had normal renal function and urinalyses before treatment with cimetidine. The cimetidine treated rats then developed a clinical picture of weakness, hematuria, proteinuria, casturia, oliguria, and increases in serum blood urea nitrogen and creatinine.Following the 6 weeks treatment period, all rats were sacrificed and their kidneys prepared for microscopic study. Histologically, the patchy, intense tubulointerstitial infiltration of lymphocytes, plasma cells, and other cells observed in the cortex of the rat kidneys is quite similar to findings described in human cases of drug-induce hypersensitivity tubulointerstitial disease. In addition, other pathologic conditions which can cause tubulointerstitial disease were adequately ruled out. Specifically, bacterial pyelonephritis was excluded as a result of the consistently sterile urine test. In conclusion, the author feels that the clinical, aboratory, and histologic findings in this study strongly suggests an association between of tubulointerstitial disease and the use of cimetidine.Department of Physiology and Health ScienceThesis (M.S.