Does moxonidine increase cytotoxic activity of ethanol in rats? Preliminary report on the base of the ultrastructural study.

Combined effects of moxonidine and ethanol on ultrastructure of selected Wistar-Kyoto rat organs (kidney, liver, heart) were investigated. In cells of the animals, which received moxonidine alone, no morphological changes were found. In the group of rats which received alcohol, several typical submicroscopical changes were found, especially related to the mitochondria. After the combined administration of ethanol and moxonidine the pathological changes were bigger than those found in animals which received alcohol alone. Those changes were particularly significant in kidney and liver. The results might indicate that moxonidine increased cytotoxic activity of ethanol on several organs in rats.