LEAD INTOXICATION: NATURE OF STRUCTURAL DAMAGE IN THE KIDNEY, LIVER, LUNG, TESTIS, EPIDIDYMIS AND SPLEEN

Joshua O Owolabi & Philip O Ogunnaike

Department of Anatomy, Ben Carson Sr. School of Medicine,

Babcock University, Nigeria

Email: olaowolabi001@yahoo.com; owolabijo@babcock.edu.ng.

ABSTRACT

The damaging effects of lead poisoning to various organs of the body have been severally reported; as well as the health complications they produce. There are however relatively few reports on the nature of such effects on body tissues- histology, most publications have rather addressed the resulting complications. The proper understanding of the nature of the effects of lead poisoning on body tissues could help in understating the cause of the complications and may provide insights into better ways of managing lead poisoning effects. This research investigated the effects of lead poisoning on a number of vital body tissues histology. Twelve Wistar rats were distributed into two groups: Group A being the control and Group B was administered 50mg/kg body weight of lead-in-water for a period of 28 days that the experiment lasted. The tissues were excised, fixed in formal saline and processed using the routine Haematoxylin and Eosin staining technique. Photomicrographs were obtained and analysed critically using qualitative histological principles. Lead produced observable deleterious effects on all tissues tested, the extent however vary greatly: from its extensively disruptive effects on the kidney tissues. Kidney glomeruli tubules were morphologically distorted while tubular cells show signs of assault and morphological distortions. Testis histo-architecture and epididymis epithelium were also disrupted. The spleen pulps, especially white, show sign of damage while bone marrow cells are fewer in the lead intoxicated group. Liver cells and alveolar epithelium showed signs of damage; Lead poisoning effects was observed in all the tissues.

Keywords:  Lead Poisoning Tissues Histology Wistar Rat