Ciprofloxacin accelerates aortic enlargement and promotes dissection and rupture in Marfan mice

Aortic aneurysm and dissection are major life-threatening complications of Marfan syndrome. Avoiding factors that promote aortic damage is critical in managing the care of these patients. Findings from clinical and animal studies raise concerns regarding fluoroquinolone use in patients at risk for aortic aneurysm and dissection. Therefore, we examined the effects of ciprofloxacin on aortic aneurysm and dissection development in Marfan mice. Eight-week-old Marfan mice ( Fbn1 C1041G/+ ) were given ciprofloxacin (100 mg/kg/d; n = 51) or vehicle (n = 59) for 4 weeks. Mice were monitored for 16 weeks. Aortic diameters were measured by using ultrasonography, and aortic structure was examined by using histopathologic and immunostaining analyses. Vehicle-treated Fbn1 C1041G/+ mice showed progressive aortic enlargement, with aortic rupture occurring in 5% of these mice. Compared with vehicle-treated Fbn1 C1041G/+ mice, ciprofloxacin-treated Fbn1 C1041G/+ mice showed accelerated aortic enlargement ( P  = . 01) and increased incidences of aortic dissection (25% vs 47%, P  = . 03) and rupture (5% vs 25%, P  = . 005). Furthermore, ciprofloxacin-treated Fbn1 C1041G/+ mice had higher levels of elastic fiber fragmentation, matrix metalloproteinase expression, and apoptosis than did vehicle-treated Fbn1 C1041G/+ mice. Ciprofloxacin accelerates aortic root enlargement and increases the incidence of aortic dissection and rupture in Marfan mice, partially by suppressing lysyl oxidase expression and further compromising the inherited defect in aortic elastic fibers. Our findings substantiate that ciprofloxacin should be avoided in patients with Marfan syndrome.