The Effect of Cronic Isolated Administration of Cadmium Chloride on the Morphological Structures in the Walls of Small Intestine of Pregnant Female Rats

Abstract

In recent years, the anthropopolitical environmental polluntion with heavy metals has become one of the main threats to living organisms, including humans, and economic and technological progress is increasingly resulting in the disruption of natural ecosystems. Heavy metals include more than forty chemical elements of the periodic table, including chromium, cadmium, manganese, mercury, iron, cobalt, nickel, and others. They are often used in industry and are part of herbicides, insecticides, and medicines. In excessive quantities, they can change the structure of proteins, negatively affect metabolism, lead to cellular mutations, disrupt the structure and permeability of cell membranes, and cause malfunctioning of internal organs. Today, it is important to determine the impact of heavy metal compounds on the body in case of their constant (chronic) intake and accumulation in the body.
 The purpose of this study was to determine morphological changes in the structure of the walls in the small intestine of rats subjected to the chronic isolated exposure to cadmium salts in a dose of 2.0 mg/kg (enteral administration).
 The study involved 32 young female Wistar rats, with weights ranging from 180 to 300 g. Female rats with confirmed pregnancies were divided into the following groups: the first group served as the control, and the second group underwent isolated injection of cadmium chloride solution at a dose of 2.0 mg/kg.
 The results of the experimental daily intragastric long-term administration of cadmium chloride showed morphological changes in the structure of the small intestine in rats. The analysis of the data obtained showed that exposure to cadmium chloride in a dose of 2.0 mg/kg leads to a significant thinning of the villi of the small intestine and mucous membrane compared to the control. When exposed to cadmium chloride in the specified dose, the number of goblet cells in the mucous membrane of the small intestine villi increased at both periods of the study, which indicates an increase in the protective function of the small intestinal mucosa against the action of a negative factor. Under the influence of cadmium, the narrowing of the outer and inner diameters of the crypt was also determined that is confirmed by the calculation of the index of the diameter of the small intestine crypt.