Antioxidant Role of Propolis on Sodium Fluoride Hepato-Renal Toxicity in Albino Rabbits: Pathological Study

Abstract

Fluoride anion is an agent which contributes to the dental protection and prevents osteoporosis in small doses, but in case of excessive exposure, it can interfere with metabolic pathways involving lipids, carbohydrates and proteins. Propolis is a compound formed by honeybees and considered as a common antioxidant. This study was designed to investigate the beneficial role of propolis as natural antioxidant against chronic sodium fluoride hepato-renal toxicity in albino rabbits. Four experimental groups receiving a combination of sodium fluoride (10 mg/ kg body weight/day) and/or propolis (25 mg/ kg body weight/day) for 60-day was divided as follows: no treatment (control), sodium fluoride alone, propolis alone and sod fluoride + propolis. Histopathological and histochemical results revealed that tissue alterations in both liver and kidney were present only in fluoride treated group. There was hepatocellular necrosis, extensive vacuolization and inflammatory cell infiltrations in the liver. However, the kidneys exhibited increasing amounts of cloudy swellings, degeneration of tubular epithelia, tissue necrosis, and extensive vacuolization in renal tubules as well as atrophy of glomeruli, interstitial oedema and interstitial nephritis. These hepato-renal toxic disturbances induced by fluoride reflect functional and structural alterations in the tissues. On the other hand, administration of propolis either alone or combined with sod fluoride pronounced or even complete recovery this hepato-renal toxicity. In addition to, the morphological analysis of apoptosis of liver and kidney tissues showed massive necrosis and increased rate of apoptosis in sodium fluoride only treated group. While in Propolis only and /or fluoride treated groups, there was low level in apoptosis. The conclusion of the present study suggests that the propolis is strong antioxidants and free radical scavengers that ameliorated the chronic hepato-renal toxicity induced by sodium fluoride in the albino rabbits.