Histomorphological Effects of Sodium Arsenite on Cervix of Rats: Experimental Study

Abstract

Arsenic contamination among heavy metals in ground water is a health hazard due to its toxicological concern, affecting millions of humans globally. Purpose: To observe and analyze the histomorphological effects of sodium arsenite on cervix of rat. Study Design: Laboratory based experimental study. Methodology: Present study held at department of anatomy, College of Physician and Surgeon Pakistan, Regional Centre Islamabad, in two principal groups, group A (control) and group B (experimental). The animals of B were administered sodium arsenite by oral gavage daily for 14 days while group A were administered only distilled water daily for 14 days. The animals of both groups were sacrificed after day 14th of drug administration. The cervix was processed for paraffin embedding and stained with Haematoxylin and Eosin (H&E). Statistical analysis: Data analyzed by SPSS 22.0v. Student’s t-test was applied to determine the significance. P-value ≤ 0.05 was considered significant. Results: The histological evaluation of experimental group animals showed decrease in cervical canal’s luminal area, hyperplasia of cervical epithelium and decrease thickness of cervical muscles. Conclusion: The nature of histomorphological effects observed in cervix showed that these changes may be due to oxidative stress produced by the formation of free radicals, decrease levels of serum estradiol, progesterone and by the denaturation of proteins. Key Words: Arsenic, Cervix, Free Radicals, Hyperplasia and Oxidative stress.