PARENT SESSION
Poster Session 37: Toxicology and Disease
Thursday, August 11, 5:00 PM - 6:30 PM, Exhibit Hall 220 A-E, Level 2, Palais des congrès de Montréal

Effects of aluminum intoxication on rat liver. Histological and ultrastructural studies.

Craciun, Constantin^*,1, Ardelean, Aurel², Olteanu, Adrian³, Miu, Andrei⁴, Silasi-Mansat, Robert¹, Barbu-Tudoran, Lucian¹, ¹ Electron Microscopy Center, Babes-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Cluj, Romania² Vasile Goldis Western University, Arad, Arad, Romania³ Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Farmacy, Cluj-Napoca, Cluj, Romania⁴ Department of Cognitive Neurosciences, Babes-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Cluj, Romania

ABSTRACT- Soluble aluminum (Al) is toxic. Its role in patophysiology has received attention with the identification of the dialysis syndrome in patients with chronic renal failure whom, after following intermittent dialysis, had hyperaluminemia, and even developed an acute lethal encephalopathy in extreme cases. Subsequent experimental studies have shown that minute quantities of this metal were able to induce severe neurological symptoms and neurodegenerative signs which have been compared to those characteristic of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Animals and humans can be intoxicated with Al from industrial water, drinking water and Al food container. Knowing that the nervous tissue is strictly dependent on liver glucose as energy substrate, the impact of Al intoxication of the liver is major because of its key role in sugar deposits management. This is the reason of our structural-functional studies on Al intoxicated liver. In our experiments we have utilized Al gluconat as active substance and Na gluconat as carrier. These substances were administrated intraperitoneal to rats in the same doses of 0,085 mg/ 100 g b.w., every second day for 3 months, obtaining in this way a chronic intoxication with Al on male and female white Wistar rats. Hepatic tissue was classically processed for structural and ultrastructural studies. Our results demonstrate that the liver of animals exposed to Al intoxication show hepatocyte degeneration manifested by lezional-necrotic zones, picnotic nuclei and small haemorrhagic foci. At the ultrastructural level, Al induce decrease of glycogen quantities, accumulation of lipid droplets, increased number of lysosomes, alteration of mitochondria. All these alterations are more evident in centrolobular zones of hepatic lobules and are more severe in the liver of male rats.

Key words: aluminium intoxication, rat liver, structure and ultrastructure, Alzheimer's disease