[ toxicity effect of methyl mercury chloride on newborn rat: Enzymatic, histology change and mercury accumulation]

Methyl mercury is a well- known environmental pollutant and toxicant to the nervous tissue, particularly during development of prodecure of brain. Low concentration of methyl mercury chloride [MMC] can be transferred to the fetus through the placenta and to newborn offspring through dam. This study aimed at investigating the toxicity significant difference effect of methyl mercury chlyoride on nearborn rat. In this experimental study 21 adult female Wistar rats were divided in 3 groups, 2 experimental and 1 control group, the experimental groups were inoculated with MMC 0.5 and 4.5 mg/kg on the 15[th], 16[th] and 17[th] gestation days. On day 25 after birth, 6 newborn rats from each experimental group were anesthetized. Blood samples were collected, alanine amino transferase [ALT], gamma glutamyle transferase [GGT], aspartate amino transferase [AST], alkaline phosphatase [ALP], tri iodo thyronine [T3], thyroxine [T4] and growth hormone [GH] were determined according to routine laboratory methods and the amount of mercury accumulation in some tissues were measured using atomic absorbtion. Histological examination of the brain, liver and kidney were also performed. The data were analyzed using Kruskal- Wallis and Mann Whitny tests. Serum analysis showed no significant difference in the experimental groups in GGT, AST, ALT, T4 compared to control group [P>0.05]. Also ALP, T3 and GH significantly increased compared to the control group [P<0.05]. The mercury accumulation significantly increased retrospectively in brain, thyroid, kidney and liver with the increase in the injection dose [P<0.005]. In the histopathologic study of the brain, degeneration and apoptosis were observed. This study showes that exposure to the low doses of induced MMC, reduces T3, growth hormone and it decreases ALP level in experimental groups compared to the control group. It may impair memory, learning and growth

[Histopathologic effects of methadone on central nervous system of mice newborns in suckling period]

Background and aim: Methadone is a synthetic opioid, used in the treatment of opioid dependence and chronic pain. The aim of this study was to investigate histopathological effects of methadone on central nervous system of mice newborns in suckling period

Methods: In this study, twenty eight mature pregnant mice were randomly divided into four groups of seven each. Three groups were intraperitonealy injected methadone [3, 6, 9 mg/kg per day respectively] from first lactational day until weaning. Control group was injected distilled water saline. At the 27th day, respectively offspring were weighed and anesthetized with choloroform and then their brains removed from their skulls and immersed in the fixative formalin buffer 10% for 24h and samples were stained with Hematoxylin and Eosin stain for the histopathology study. The data were analysed using one way ANOVA and Sheffe tests

Results: Methadone caused a significant reduction in both weight and Crown Rumpa-Length and also an increase in the brain to body mass ratio in experimental groups compared to the control group [P<0.001]. In addition, offsprings who received methadone during lactational period showed changes in the brain neuronal degeneration along with apoptotic cells in the regions of DG and CA3 of the hippocampus

Conclusion: Methadone consumption during lactational period can cause reduction in growth indices and structural disorders in the offspring brains