Histochemical and ultrastructural studies on rat proximal convoluted tubules under the effect of 7, 12 dimethylbenz [A] anthracence and tamoxifen treatment

ABSTRACT

The requirement of ATPase for cellular enzymatic reaction is necessary for understanding how cells are damaged when energy metabolism is impaired in pathologic states. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of 7, 12-dimnethylbenz/aJanthracene [DMBa] and tamoxifen [TAM] treatment on the activity of A TFase by light and electron microscopy on rat proximal tub miles, also to elucidate the mode of action of TAM in morphological features of apoptosis. 60 male albino rats were included, ten rats were used as control, 20 rats received a single dose of the DMBA only [Sing/100g body weigh and 30 rats received DMBA and treated with TAM [0.2mng/l100g body weight three times weekly] for six months. A marked PAS positive and decreased ATPase activity were shown in destructed brush border and basement in membrane in the group given DMBA, whereas an elevation of ATPase activity was observed after TAM treatment than in DMBA group administration, but it is less than in control. The ultrastructural studies showed marked chromatin condensation with nuclear segmentation as a feature of apoptotic cells after TAM treatment. The depletion of ATPase confirmed the ultrastructural feature of apoptosis. So, we can conclude that TAM may be a protective agent against carcinogenesis. Also, histochemial ATPase technique was found to be a simple method for demonstrating the apoptotic features