Pulmonary changes that occur in the interalveolar septa of albino rats exposed to nickel and the possible protective effect of magnesium. A histological study

Is to investigate the effect of exposure to nickel chloride on the interalveolar septa of lung of albino rats and the possible protective effect of simultaneous administration of magnesium acetate. Thirty adult male albino rats were used in this study. They were divided into 3 groups. Group I included 6 rats. They were used as normal controls. Group II, included 12 rats that were exposed to nickel chloride 5 days/ week for 4 weeks. Group III, included 12 rats that were given magnesium acetate simultaneously with nickel chloride for 4 weeks. Specimens were taken from the lung of all animals and were subjected to histological and ultrastructural studies. Rats lung of group II revealed evident degenerative pulmonary changes in the interalveolar septa of the lung with its marked thickening and collapse of many alveoli. The interstitium showed marked cellular infiltration, focal areas of oedema and deposition of collagen fibers. Some blood vessels appeared congested with marked extravasation of blood. Focal areas showed homogeneous eosinophilic material within the alveolar lumen and in the interalveolar septa. Electron microscopic study revealed alteration of normal alveolar lining with predominance of pneumocyte type II which showed atypical vacuolar inclusion in some cells. Others appeared shrunken with blunting of its microvillous border. Some alveoli showed severe degenerative changes and its lining exhibit hyaline membrane formation. Endothelial cells were sloughed in some capillaries with deposition of fibrillar osmophilic material on the epithelial aspect of the basal lamina. Proliferation of active macrophages was also seen. These changes were not evident in group III except for some cellular infiltration, thickening of interalveolar septum and focal oedema. Exposure to nickel chloride has deleterious effect on the delicate lung tissue, however, simultaneous administration of magnesium with nickel ameliorated significantly the harmful effect of nickel

Histological and histochemical picture of hepatocytes in rat after irradiation: light and electron microscopy

Radiation is widely used in both diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. The present work aimed at the study of the effect of total body dose irradiation of fast neutrons on the liver of albino rats. The hepatocytic changes were studied histologically, histochemiclaly [including succinic dehyrogenase enzyme, acid and alkaline phosphataes] and ultrastructural examination. The study was carried out on 30 albino rats, 10 were used as control. Each of the 20 rats was exposed to fast neutron whole body irradiation as a single dose for 15 hours receiving a total dose of 300 Rem/rat. The histological and ultrastrutural examination showed a picture of degeneration and necrosis of hepatocytes with pyknosis of the nucleus and vacuolation of the cytoplasm. Both nucleus and cytoplasmic organells were involved in this degeneration. Histochemical results were in accordance and supported the histological results. Succinic dehydrogenase and alkaline phosphatase enzymes showed decreased activity while acid phosphatase enzyme showed an increased activity due to cell necrosis and degeneration. Thus whole body irradiation with fast neutrons as a single dose resulted in both nuclear and cytoplasmic degeneration and necrosis of hepatocytes with a decrease in the liver functions which eventually might lead to cellular death. These changes were mainly degenerative and not carcinogenic