Histological and histochemical alterations in the liver induced by lead chronic toxicity

Abstract

Adult males of the Wistar albino rats (Rattus norvegicus) were exposed to lead acetate trihydrate in drinking water (0.0%, 0.25%, 0.5%, 1% and 2% for 1-12 months) to investigate histological and histochemical alterations induced by lead intoxication in the liver. Chronic exposure to subtoxic concentrations of lead produced changes in the hepatocytes, portal triads and the sinusoids. The alterations in the hepatocytes were mainly anisokaryosis, nuclear vesiculation, binucleation, cytoplasmic inclusions, cytoplasmic swelling, hydropic degeneration, necrosis and reduction in glycogen content. In addition, portal triads mild chronic inflammation, Kupffer cells hyperplasia and occasional fatty change were seen together with hemosiderosis. No portal fibrosis or cirrhosis was detected due to chronic subtoxic doses of lead exposure in the liver of any member of the dose groups over the entire period of the study. Chronic lead exposure also increased the activities of alkaline phosphatase and α-glycerophosphate-dehydrogenase which might be an adaptation to the metabolic, structural and functional changes in the organelles of hepatic cells due to lead intoxication. The findings revealed that chronic exposure to lead produced significant histological and histochemical changes in the liver of the Wistar albino rats.

Lead (Pb), a threat to protein metabolic efficacy of liver, kidney and muscle in mice

“…(Ronis et al 1998;Lancranjan et al 1975). It is noted that after oral invasion, this toxic substance tends to accumulate in the skeleton and then proceeds to other tissues especially the liver and kidney until a threshold level is reached (Jarrar 2003;Sidhu and Nehru 2004;Jarrar and Taib 2012). Harmful effects of lead include defective metabolism of cholesterol and xenobiotic elements, proliferation of liver cell and DNA synthesis followed by hepatic hyperplasia (EPA 1986), deposition of intra-nuclear inclusion bodies in the kidney (Stiller and Friedrich 1983) and unique protein formation due to lead sequestration (Shelton and Egle 1982).…”

Effect of Testosterone on Lead Acetate Toxicity in Male Albino Rats

“…Besides that it caused mitochondrial configuration changes [6]. On one hand chronic exposure to lead produced significant histological and histochemical changes in the liver of the wistar albino rats [7]. On the other hand lead is capable of damaging the organism in many ways due to its high affinity to various tissues [8].…”

Effect of LA on the Growth and Development of the Main Organs in Female Mice

“…Lead had been a toxic problem for human beings and animals from the earliest time [1]. With rapid development of industry and agriculture, lead continue to have widespread commercial applications as in plumbing, paints, manufacture of lead acid batteries, soldering, etc., and environment and occupational exposure to lead has become a global concern [2][3][4].…”

“…Various organs also show critical damage [13]. The most common findings in liver were fatty degenerative changes, necrosis of the parenchyma of hepatic lobule, and a loss of normal architecture of the hepatocytes [1,3,5]. The main microscopic change noticed in kidney was enlargement of epithelial cells lining renal tubules (proximal tubules), with hyalinization, necrosis of some tubules.…”

“…* Feng Lin linfeng7207@163.com 1 Currently, studies on the toxicity of lead, acute poisoning, and subacute intoxication are very common, but effects of long-term exposure to low-dose lead on damage to the tissues and organs of young animals have been reported rarely. And damage effects on tissues and organs induced by lead mainly focus on the effect of different doses of lead on the liver and kidney; systematically, comprehensive studies on multiorgans exposed to the long-term and the different doses of lead are relatively insufficient.…”