Cadmium is one of the most toxic heavy metals. This metal is a serious environmental and occupational contaminant and may represent a serious health hazard to human and animal. Exposure to Cd can cause acute and chronic tissues injury and can damage various organs and tissues, including liver, kidney, lung, bones and blood.
Oxidative process is believed to participate in the early processes of cadmium induced kidney damage.
The mechanisms of cadmium toxicity are not completely understood, but some of the cellular effects are known.
Nigella sativa is a plant that have been used traditionally for centuries in the treatment of various diseases.
The antioxidant action of Nigella sativa oil may explain the possible protective effect of these agents against nephrotoxicity.
The aim of the current study was to detect the possible protective effect of Nigella sativa oil on cadmium induced nephrotoxicity at both light and electron microscopic level.
Twenty four adult male albino rats, 240-260 gm in weight were used in this study. They were divided into four groups.
Group I, formed of 6 rats:
Each rat was given 5 ml of 0.9 ml normal saline subcutaneously for 3 weeks.
Group II, formed of 6 rats:
Each rat was given Nigella sativa oil at a single daily dose of 2 ml/kg by gastric tube for 3 weeks.
Group III, formed of 6 rats:
Each rat was given Cadmium chloride 5 mg/kg daily subcutaneously for 3 weeks.
Group 1v formed of 6 rats:
Each rat was given:
- Cadmium chloride 5 mg/kg daily subcutaneously for 3 weeks.
- Nigella sativa oil at a single daily dose of 2 ml/kg by gastric tube for 3 weeks starting 3 days before cadmium administration.
After 24 hours from the last dose of cadmium administration, the rats were anaesthetized by ether inhalation.
- Light microscopic examination of renal cortex obtained from group III showed changes in the form of cytoplasmic vacuolation of cells of most of renal convoluted tubules, some of renal tubules showed cell desquamation in to the tubular lumen, some of renal corpuscle showed atrophy of glomerular capillary with wide Bowmans space and in some section there were focal inflammatory cell infilteration.
Electron microscopic examination of renal cortex obtained from group III showed pathological changes in the form of presence of multiple vacuoles in the cytoplasm of renal tubules some mitochondria with disorganized cristae, some nuclei of renal tubules showed irregular nuclear outline
Examination of specimens obtained from group IV showed marked reduction in pathological changes resulted from cadmium administration at both light and electron microscopic examination levels, and this appeared in the form of marked reduction of glomerular capillary atrophy and reduction in tubular epithelium cytoplasmic vacuolation by light microscopic examination while electron microscopic examination revealed renal tubules with elongated basal mitochondria, nuclei with regular nuclear outline and reduction of cytoplasmic vacuolation.
Conclusion:
In the present study the use of Nigella sativa oil before and during administration of cadmium showed marked reduction in the toxic effect of cadmium on the kidney of adult male albino rats which revealed reduction of cadmium induced pathological changes on the kidney detected by light and electron microscopic examination.
So we can consider Nigella sativa oil as a protective agent against cadmium nephrotoxicity.
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