Elemental Composition and Morphological Characteristics of Kidney under the Influence of Toxicants

Morphological changes and element status in laboratory animals under the influence of ethanol and cadmium were studied. Male Wistar rats were under investigation. Experimental animals received standard diet and in addition 15% ethanol solution and cadmium sulfate orally. Histologic and morphometric studies were done. Routine Mayer's hematoxylin and eosin stain for renal histological sections was used. Ocular micrometer МОВ-1-15х1500 and software “Test Morpho 4.0†were used for investigation of histological and cytological structures of kidneys. Digital images were produced by microscope “Micros†(Austria). The methods of inductively coupled plasma spectroscopy and atomic emission spectroscopy (Optima 2000 DV and ELAN 9000, PerkinElmer, USA) were used for the elemental study of samples. The combined effect of ethanol and cadmium sulfate caused renal damage which was confirmed morphologically. It was found that 65% nephrons were exposed to destruction with microinfarctions. Volume of 80% renal corpuscles was reduced, but volume of nephrocytes was extended at all levels of nephron. Cavities of the renal tubule were extended in the area of Henle's loop. In addition to kidney damage the concentrations of Mg, P, As, Fe, Cu, Si, Zn were decreased and Cd concentration was increased in the blood of laboratory animals, who were exposed to ethanol and cadmium. The concentration of cadmium was 86 times (p ≤ 0,001) higher and the concentration of lead was 25 times (p ≤ 0.05) higher in the hair of animals from the experimental group than in the hair of animals from the control group.