Toxicity and hepatorenal response to acute copper exposure in rats

Azza A. El-Masry

Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Alexandria University, Egypt.

E-mail: ahssan555@yahoo.com

Accepted 08 July, 2012

Abstract

Copper accumulates in animal tissues until reaching the toxic level, at which time the histopathological changes then develops. The belief is that the genetic defects are responsible for disease and copper toxicosis is a cause rather than the result of tissue disease but it is not the primary cause. The tissue alterations, vacoulation, degeneration and necrosis, decreased after stopping copper toxicity and the organs excrete the excess copper by certain ways. This clearance enhances the interstitial stem cells or their precursors to incorporate in regeneration of the lost tissue mass. Moreover, to some extents, the bone marrow stem cells may introduce some plasticity to regenerate some of this lost tissue mass. The present experiment was designed using the local albino Sprague Dawely rats. The animals were sacrificed during and after toxication period as well as after non-toxication periods. The results support the opinion that the interstitial stem cells or even bone marrow stem cells are incorporated into regeneration of the lost tissues after toxication and clearance.

Keywords:  Copper accumulation- histopathological effects- liver- kidney- rats