Rats exposure to cd2+ in drinking water: injury produced in heart, a histological assessment.

FERRAMOLA MARIANA L; HONORÉ STELLA M; SÁNCHEZ SARA S; ANZULOVICH ANA CECILIA; GIMENEZ MARIA SOFIA

San Juan Argentina

Congreso; II Reunión Conjunta de Sociedades de Biología de la República Argentina; 2011

Cd has been associated with an increased incidence in stroke and heart failure. The aim of the present work was to assess histological alterations in the rat heart, after Cd exposure. We also evaluated the putative protection of a soy-based diet. Male Wistar rats, 8-10 weeks old, were separated into 6 groups and treated during 2 months as it follows: groups (1), (3) and (5) were fed a casein-based diet; groups (2), (4) and (6) were fed a soy-based diet. Groups (1) and (2) received tap water; (3) and (4) received tap water+Cd2+ 15ppm; (5) and (6) received tap water+Cd2+ 100ppm. Histological studies were performed using hematoxilin-eosin and Sirius red staining. Apoptosis was assessed by the TUNNEL test. We found that Cd2+ exposure causes tissue alterations, with hypertrophy and fusion of muscular cells. We also observed extracellular matrix alterations in the animals exposed Cd. A soy-based diet couldn`t prevent the disturbances found in the rat heart. On the other hand, we didn´t observed any increase in apoptotic cells in the heart of poisoned rats. We conclude that exposure to Cd-contaminated drinking water alters significantly the cardiac tissue. Probably, this observation would explain the association between Cd exposure and cardiovascular diseases. No protection from a soy-based diet was found.