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

ABSTRACT

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