Abstract
Introduction: The incidence of arsenic (As)-induced toxicity is increasing steadily all over the globe. Consumption of As-contaminated water is the chief source of exposure to As. Kidneys are important organs involved in the excretion of the final metabolized products of inorganic As (iAs) and organic As, thus becoming highly vulnerable to As-induced adverse effects. The functional and morphological maturation of kidneys during the gestational period continues to a variable extent into the early postnatal period and accordingly, the vulnerability to As exposure is increased manifold during postnatal period. Material and Methods: The present study aimed to assess the function and morphology of the developing kidney of rats exposed to sodium arsenite (Na As O2) (1.5 mg/kg body weight [bwt] intraperitoneally) from postnatal day 1–28. On day 29, the perfusion fixed kidney tissue was processed for paraffin embedding, whereas fresh kidney tissue was processed for biochemical estimation of reduced glutathione (GSH). Blood samples were collected intracardially for the assessment of serum urea and creatinine levels. Results: Functional deficits were reflected by increased levels of serum urea and creatinine levels in iAs-exposed animals. The GSH levels in the renal tissue of experimental animals showed a significant decrease (81.20 ± 26.79 μg/g) as against GSH levels in controls (122.45 ± 30.97 μg/g). Microscopic observations revealed obliterated Bowman's capsular space with increased cellularity in the experimental group. In addition, decrease in the number as well as size of glomeruli was noted in iAs alone-treated animals. Discussion and Conclusion: The adverse effects of As have been widely studied in various organ systems in adults. Our data showed a significant alteration in kidney parameters (structural and functional) of rats exposed to Na As O2 during early postnatal period, suggesting thereby increased vulnerability of the developing kidney to As exposure. Postnatal exposure of neonatal rats to sodium arsenite induces adverse effects on developing kidney.
Published Version
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