Hirata K, Ueda T, Morita I, Momose S, Hirata H
Contrib Nephrol. 1977;6:94-113. doi: 10.1159/000399756.
The increased nephrotoxicity of simultaneously administered kanamycin and low molecular weight dextran was studied in rats. The simultaneous administration of the two drugs showed an increase of nephrotoxicity, and caused pronounced vacuolation of the cytoplasm in the proximal tubular cells. The vacuoles were confirmed to be phagolysosomes by electron microscopic, histochemical and cell fractionation methods. The cell fractionation technique indicated that these phagolysosomes contained both kanamycin and dextran. The alteration of membrane was observed in the phagolysosomes, and these lysosomes of damaged renal tissue seemed to be more fragile than normal. The possible role played by lysosomes in the pathogenesis of acute tubular necrosis was discussed.