Histological and Histometrical Study of the Protective Role ofα-Tocopherol against Sodium Arsenite Toxicity in Rat Ovaries

Abstract

This study examines histometrical changes induced by sodium arsenite (SA), as an environmental pollutant, and investigates the protective effect of α-tocopherol on ovaries of SA-treated rats during the prenatal stage until sexual maturity. Rats were classified into groups: control, SA (8 ppm/day), α-tocopherol (100 ppm/day), and SA+α-tocopherol. Treatment was performed from pregnancy until maturation when the rats and ovaries were weighed. The Cavalieri method was used to estimate volume of the ovaries, cortex, medulla, and corpus luteum. The mean diameter of oocytes, granulosa cells, and nuclei were measured and volume was estimated using the Nucleator method. The number of oocytes and thickness of the zona pellucida (ZP) were determined using an optical dissector and orthogonal intercept method, respectively. SA reduced the body and ovary weight, the number of secondary, antral and Graafian oocytes, volume of the ovaries, cortex, medulla and corpus luteum, mean diameter and volume of oocytes in primordial and primary follicles, mean diameter and volume of oocyte nuclei in all types of follicles, and mean thickness of the ZP in secondary and antral follicles. Also, the mean diameter and volume of granulosa cells and their nuclei in antral and Graafian follicles decreased significantly. Vacuolization and vascular congestion in the corpus luteum and an increase in the number of atretic oocytes were seen in the SA group. Most of these parameters were unchanged from the control level in the SA+α-tocopherol group. It was concluded that α-tocopherol supplementation reduced the toxic effects of SA exposure on ovarian tissue in rats.

Vitamin E and Sodium Selenite Against Mercuric Chloride-Induced Lung Toxicity in the Rats

“…It protects the body's biological systems due to preventions of lipid peroxidation by scavenging free radicals ability in lipoprotein membranes (Al Attar 2011). Several studies have reported that vitamin E and selenium play beneficial role against adverse effects of toxic compounds in various organ (Kalender et al 2013;Dezfouli et al 2014;Ranjan et al 2014;Hassani et al 2015). However, vitamin E and selenium are not only effective against oxidative damage alone, but also have a synergistic effect when they are used together (Schwenke and Behr 1998).…”

Histomorphological effects of sodium arsenite on uterus of rats

“…Arsenic also decreases the serum LH and FSH levels with suppression of gonadotrophins secretions and ovarian steroidogenesis. [9][10][11][12][13] The objective of the present work was to assess arsenic induced alterations in the uterus of female Sprague Dawley rats.…”