Reaction of the Local Protective Barrier in the Duodenal Mucosa of Rats to a Complex of Food Additives

Abstract

Introduction: The use of food additives continues to be a topic of significant debate, primarily due to the limited research on their effects on the human body, especially in conditions involving combined exposure. Commonly used additives in the food industry include monosodium glutamate, sodium nitrite, and Ponceau-4R. These substances, widely incorporated into food products, enter the body as haptens and, when binding to proteins such as serum albumin, form complete antigens, which can trigger the synthesis of antibodies. Objective: To investigate the dynamics of quantitative changes in lymphoid cell populations in the lamina propria of the duodenal mucosa under normal conditions and following combined exposure to the food additives monosodium glutamate, sodium nitrite, and Ponceau-4R. Materials and Methods. The study involved 84 mature male rats. The animals in the experimental group, with free access to water, were administered 0.6 mg/kg of sodium nitrite, 20 mg/kg of monosodium glutamate, and 5 mg/kg of Ponceau 4R in 0.5 ml of distilled water orally once daily. These doses were twice lower than the permissible norm. The animals were euthanized after 1, 4, 8, 12, and 16 weeks. Histological sections, stained with hematoxylin and eosin, were studied under a light microscope. Quantitative parameters of lymphoid cells in the lamina propria of the duodenal mucosa were evaluated using a Levenhuk D740T digital microscope with microphotography attachment and specialized software adapted for the study. Results. The average number of lymphocytes in the lamina propria of the duodenal mucosa in rats at the 16th week of the experiment was 5.02±0.09 per field of view, which was 5.02 times significantly higher than in the control group (p<0.05). Prolonged intake of the additive complex led to an increase in plasma cells, reaching 20.04±0.17 per field of view at week 16, remaining 5.04 times higher than control values (p<0.05). The average number of macrophages was 8.96±0.17 per field of view, 4.48 times higher than in the control group (p<0.05). The number of granulocytes increased significantly, being 6.12 times higher than the control value at 3.98±0.09 per field of view (p<0.05). Conclusion. The complex of food additives monosodium glutamate, sodium nitrite, and Ponceau - 4R activates both nonspecific immune response processes and antigen-dependent cell differentiation in a wave-like manner.