Histological study of the hepatic parenchyma of eared dove (Zenaida auriculata) exposed to lead.

TABARES EL; FILIPPA VP; CASTRO AC; CHEDIACK JG; CID FD

Villa de Merlo, San Luis

Jornada; XXXV Reunión Científica anual; 2018

Sociedad de Biología de Cuyo

Birds that live in industrialized, urbanized and intensive agricultural areas has been reported having aumented Pb concentrations. The ingestion of this toxic metal can induce histological alterations in tissues. The aim was to examine the effect of chronic administration of lead on the liver histology from eared dove (Z. auriculata). Adult doves were live-trapped and acclimated to laboratory conditions before using them in experiments. They were randomly divided into two groups: control group (n=6) and experimental group (n=6) treated with lead acetate in drinking water ad libitium for 30 days. The birds were anesthetized and euthanized (CICUA-UNSL). The liver was processed for light microscopy. The following techniques were applied Hematoxylinand-Eosin, Perls´ Prussian Blue, and Masson´s trichrome. In the experimental group, histopathological alterations were found in the liver parenchyma. Circulatory disturbances, inflammations and leukocytic infiltration, steatosis of hepatocytes and its fatty degeneration were observed. In the portal spaces proliferation of the bile ducts, dilated portal veins and more connective tissue were found. Melanomacrophage aggregations wich accumulate melanin and hemosiderin pigments (positive staining with Perls´ Prussian Blue). In these sense, we also observed that Pb causes a decrease of delta-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase(ALAD) activity in exposed doves. It is well established that ALAD inhibition altering the hemoglobin synthesis, which results in the release of iron from proteins. Moreover, several studies observed that the excess iron is deposited in tissues (e.g. liver) as hemosiderin. The observed histological disturbances could be due to an inflammatory response in the liver parenchyma of Pb exposed doves.