Acutely impaired renal function during intravenous administration of cyclosporine A: a cremophore side-effect.

The parenteral application of a cyclosporine A (CyA)-containing solution in high doses, 0.7 mg/kg/min, was associated with an acute reduction in renal blood-flow and a depression in creatinine clearance to approximately one half of control values. Exactly the same effect can be produced by the intravenous administration of the vehicle, cremophore, a polyoxyethylated castor-oil derivative. Although these observations are not of great clinical importance, since the doses of CyA used in man are much lower and the drug is generally taken orally, they are of considerable importance when studying the effects of CyA under experimental conditions. For the purpose of examining the influence of CyA on renal function, cremophore-containing solutions should be avoided.