Effect of plant growth promoting substance [2,4 - dichlorophenoxy acetic acid] on the structure of the rat kidney at different postnatal ages

ABSTRACT

Thirty adult mated females albino rats were used in this study. The animals were divided into two groups One served as a control and the other received a daily dose of 15 mg/kg of 2, 4-D starting form the sixth day of pregnancy till delivery. At one week, proximal and distal tubules exhibited degenerative alterations which varied in severity and extent. The lining epithelium showed an increase in number and size of lysosomes and the mitochondria became swollen with destructed cristae. The renal corpuscle showed marked reduction of the urinary space with fusion of the podocytic feet processes. With progress of development, there was more degenerative changes in the convoluted tubules. Some cells of the proximal convoluted tubules showed marked reduction in most of the cell organelles. Other cells showed large bodies of moderate electron density and numerous lysosomes. The cells of the distal tubules showed numerous vacuoles of variable sizes and shapes, some of them contained myelin-like figures. The urinary space of the renal corpuscles was no longer obliterated and the podocytic feet processes were regularly spaced