Effect of naproxen on tail fin regeneration in teleost.

In the present investigation we studied the effect of naproxen, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug used for the treatment of rheumatic disease, on the synthesis of the lepidotrichial matrix of the tail fin of the teleost fish Cyprinus carpio (carp) during the regeneration process. The lepidotrichial synthesis was observed by standard and polarized light microscopy and by transmission electron microscopy. In general, naproxen at the dose used in the present study did not affect the organization of the extracellular matrix components and the mineralization of the fundamental substance of the lepidotrichia during the process of tail fin regeneration. Since the effect of naproxen, as well as of other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, depends on the dose used, the route of administration and the metabolism of the animal in which the drug is being tested, higher doses of the drug may perhaps delay or even fully inhibit this process, possibly also provoke disorganization of the lepidotrichial matrix.