ABSTRACT
Adult male albino rats were subcutaneously injected with doses of cadmium chloride equivalent to 1/20 LD [50] or 1/10 LD [50] [6 days/week] for one, two and four weeks. The present study showed that the kidneys displayed degenerative changes that were mainly localized in the proximal convoluted tubules and Malpighian corpuscles. The histological changes in the proximal convoluted tubules included sloughing of apical portions of their epithelia, development of apoptotic bodies and the appearance of cell casts in their lumina. Besides, the cells of the epithelia of such tubules exhibited the development of cytoplasmic vacuoles, cloudy swelling and shrinked or pyknotic nuclei. The glomeruli showed variable pictures of degeneration including segmentation and fragmentation. Besides, some glomeruli showed glomerulonephritis or partial infarction. Also, some Bowman's capsules displayed marked degeneration. Many intrarenal venules appeared congested. The current results indicate the augmentation of histopathological signs with higher doses of cadmium chloride and with longer duration of use