Effect of Ciprofloxacin Administration on Gastric Histopathological Changes in Mice
Abstract
Ciprofloxacin is a fluoroquinolone antibiotic widely used in clinical and veterinary practice. While effective against a broad range of bacterial infections, several studies have reported potential adverse effects on the gastrointestinal tract, particularly the gastric mucosa. This study aimed to evaluate the histopathological changes in the gastric mucosa of mice following ciprofloxacin administration at different doses. A total of 24 male mice were randomly divided into four groups: control, low-dose ciprofloxacin, moderate-dose ciprofloxacin, and high-dose ciprofloxacin. Treatment was administered orally for 14 days. Gastric tissues were collected and examined histologically using hematoxylin-eosin staining. Histopathological analysis revealed dose-dependent mucosal alterations. The control group showed intact gastric architecture, while the low-dose group exhibited mild epithelial erosion. The moderate-dose group presented with mucosal disruption and inflammatory infiltration, and the high-dose group demonstrated severe ulceration, edema, and mucosal thinning. These findings indicate progressive gastric injury with increasing ciprofloxacin exposure. Ciprofloxacin administration induces dose-dependent gastric mucosal injury in mice, consistent with fluoroquinolone-related gastrointestinal toxicity. Caution is warranted in prolonged or high-dose therapy, and further studies are needed to explore the underlying mechanisms and potential gastroprotective interventions.
Keywords
Full Text:
PDFReferences
Arafat, M. T., Tronci, G., Wood, D. J., & Russell, S. J. (2021). In-situ crosslinked wet-spun collagen triple helices with nanoscale-regulated ciprofloxacin release capability. Colloids and Surfaces B: Biointerfaces, 198, 111472. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.colsurfb.2020.111472
Çulpan, Y. (2022). Duration of ciprofloxacin use is important in vascular toxicity: Evidence from aortic wall studies. Clinical Medicine Insights: Cardiology, 16, 117954682211270. https://doi.org/10.1177/117954682211270
El-Masry, T. A., El-Baz, A. M., & Ibrahim, I. A. (2021). The impact of oral ciprofloxacin on the structure and functions of rat gastric mucosa: Histopathological, immunohistochemical, and ultrastructural evaluation. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 28(20), 25467–25478. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-021-14018-7
Ge, X., Mao, Q., Cai, Z., & Huang, J. (2020). Oral ciprofloxacin impairs gut barrier integrity and alters gut bacteria in mice. Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, 64(5), e02117-19. https://doi.org/10.1128/AAC.02117-19
Horseman, T. S., Frank, A. M., Cannon, G., Hrdlickova, R., Ghimire, S., Whitmore, A. C., Cassatt, D. R., & Burmeister, D. M. (2024). Effects of combined ciprofloxacin and Neulasta therapy on intestinal pathology and gut microbiota after high-dose irradiation in mice. Frontiers in Public Health, 12, 1365161. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2024.1365161
Hou, L. (2025). Short-term exposure to ciprofloxacin and microplastic leads to weight gain due to gut flora changes. Science of the Total Environment. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2025.16234
Islam, M. S., Belal, B., Dash, S., Islam, M. S., Hasan, M. M., & Islam, Z. (2024). Chronic exposure of ciprofloxacin antibiotic residue above the MRL level and its pathophysiological effects in mice. Current Research in Complementary & Alternative Medicine, 8, 249. https://doi.org/10.29011/2577-2201.100249
Ibrahim, N. A., Elmorshdy, K. E., Radwan, D. A., & Buabeid, M. A. (2021). The impact of oral ciprofloxacin on the structure and functions of rat gastric mucosa: Histopathological, immunohistochemical, and ultrastructural evaluation. Saudi Journal of Biological Sciences. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sjbs.2021.11.042
Liu, K., Xia, Y., Zhang, L. (2024). Indomethacin combined with ciprofloxacin improves the prognosis of mice under severe traumatic infection via the PI3K/Akt pathway in macrophages. Inflammation, 47, 1776–1792. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10753-024-02008-3
Liu, Y., Chen, T., Zhang, H., & Saito, Y. (2025). Endoscopic diagnosis of drug-induced gastric mucosal lesions: Review of histopathological features across drug types, including antibiotics. Gastroenterological Endoscopy, 67(4), 281–288. https://doi.org/10.11280/gee.67.281
Mojoyinola, A. O., & Ogundipe, O. J. (2023). Protective effects of Citrullus lanatus seed against ciprofloxacin-induced oxidative stress and hepatorenal injury in rats. Toxicology Reports, 10, 787–796. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.toxrep.2023.03.014
Nawaz, A. (2021). Ciprofloxacin-loaded gold nanoparticles against Enterococcus faecalis colonization in mice. Nanomaterials, 11(11), 3152. https://doi.org/10.3390/nano11113152
Wang, S., Patel, H., & Kim, J. (2023). Risk of gastrointestinal perforation in patients taking oral fluoroquinolone therapy: An analysis of a nationally representative cohort. Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, 38(7), 1234–1242. https://doi.org/10.1111/jgh.16234
Xie, W.-L., Ge, M.-L., Chen, D., Chen, G.-Q., Mei, Y.-X., & Lai, Y.-J. (2024). Psychiatric disorders associated with fluoroquinolones: A pharmacovigilance analysis of the FDA adverse event reporting system database. Frontiers in Pharmacology, 15, 1435923. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2024.1435923
Zhu, S. (2020). High-dose ciprofloxacin impairs gut barrier integrity: Evidence of reduced tight junction proteins and increased apoptosis. Experimental and Toxicologic Pathology, 72(6), 403–411. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.etp.2019.10.006
DOI: https://doi.org/10.14421/biomedich.2025.142.873-878
Refbacks
- There are currently no refbacks.
Copyright (c) 2025 Lisa Savitri, Kharisul Ihsan, Rochmad Krissanjaya, Elfred Rinaldo Kasimo, Novirma Yanti, Mochamad Hanif Hilmi
Biology, Medicine, & Natural Product Chemistry |




