Light and electron microscopic studies on lung and myocardium of the mice fetuses maternally treated with monosodium glutamate and role of vitamin E against toxicity

The lung and myocardium of fetal mice were used in the present investigation as a model to evaluate the possible effect of monosodium glutamate as one of the flavor food additives. Vitamin E was also used as one of the antioxidant agents against wide range of cellular damage. In this study, light microscopic examination revealed that monosodium glutamate caused narrowing of the lung airways, thickening of the alveolar walls and collapsing of the alveoli. The cardiac muscles showed severe atrophy and abundance of blood capillaries. The ultrastructure studies revealed remarkable damage of type I and type II pneumocytes as well as the endothelial cells. Severely degenerated alveolar areas and accumulated collagen bundles were detected in the alveolar wall. The ultrastructure of the fetal myocardium revealed severe atrophy and destruction of cardiac muscle fibers. Some of these fibers tend to accumulate around blood capillaries which lined by attenuated endothelium. Numerous fibroblasts, fibrillary network, collagen and macrophages were obvious in the myocardium of these fetuses. Light and ultrastructural results showed that the treatment of pregnant mice with vitamin E leads to apparent repair of the lung tissues that may suggest a remarkable efficacy of this vitamin against pulmonary damage. On the other hand, the protective effect of vitamin E on the fetal myocardium was weak

Ultrastructural study of renal tubular damage induced by captopril in adult and fetal mice

The present study has been designed to evaluate the possible nephrotoxicity of the angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor, captopril on renal tubules of adult and maternally treated fetuses of CD-1 mice. The study included the effect of captopril administration for one month up to three months in adults, while in fetuses, they were exposed to the drug through their mothers in two periods. The first was from 6th-12th days of pregnancy, while the second was from 6th-18th day of pregnancy. The dose used in the present study represents the dose equivalent to the therapeutic daily dose taken by human. All the recorded tissue damage was found to be time dependent. The first remarkable feature noticed in all the treated adult animals was the presence of hyaline casts that obstructed most of the renal tubules. The second remarkable feature was the increase of the intertubular space associated with irregularity of the tubules due to the degeneration and vacuolation of the basal regions of the cells. Renal tubule cells showed large blebs, accumulaton of lipids, degeneration and necrosis. In maternally treated fetuses, the proximal convoluted tubule cells displayed moderate vacuolation and marked increase of lysosomes while some of the distal convoluted tubules revealed atrophy and their cells showed loss of mitochondria. In addition, the collecting tubules showed loss of microprojections. Worthy to mention that there was apparent increase of mesenchymal cells as well as fibroblasts in the fetuses maternally treated with captopril. The significance of these changes was discussed and it should be emphasized that captopril must be taken with caution for pregnant women and those who suffer from renal troubles. Moreover, kidney function should be monitored during therapy

Fine structural studies on the protective role of guanidinoethane sulfonic acid [GES] against low dose: Gamma radiation induced damage in rat pancreas

Any radiation exposure, no matter how small, carries with it some risk. All cells are not equally sensitive to radiation damage. The biological effects of high levels of radiation exposure are fairly well known, but the effects of low levels of radiation are more difficult to determine. Radio protective effects of Guanidinoethane Sulfonic Acid [GES] as analogue of taurine have been investigated in whole body irradiated rats. This study was taken to evaluate the structural effect of low dose radiation on the pancreatic cells as a model of radiosensitive organs and the role of [GES] as a radioprotector. Male rats were chosen for this study. The animals were divided into three groups each had equal numbers of animals, the first group served as a control group. The second group was exposed to gamma radiation at a dose level 1 Gy twice a week for 12 weeks, at a dose rate 1 Gy/1.5 min. The third group was given Guanidinoethane Sulfonic Acid [GES] as 1% solution in drinking water beginning 14 days before irradiation and continuing for 14 days thereafter, when the rats were killed. Histopathological and electron microscopical studies revealed that accumulative dose of gamma radiation affects both exocrine and endocrine cells of the pancreas. Using Guanidinoethane Sulfonic Acid [GES] as an analog of taurine helps the cells to regain its normal structure