Liver Histology and Biochemistry of Exposed
Newborn and Infant Rats with Experimental Aflatoxicosis
Kubilay Doğan Kılıç1*, Aylin Gökhan1,
Eser Yıldırım Sözmen2 and Ayşegül Uysal1
1Ege
University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Histology and
Embryology, Izmir, Turkey
2Ege
University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Biochemistry, Izmir,
Turkey
*Corresponding author:kubilaydk@gmail.com;
kubilay.dogan.kilic@ege.edu.tr
Abstract
Gestational and lactational transmission of
Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) can elicit several toxic effects emphasizing the severity of
aflatoxicosis. The present study aimed to investigate the genotoxic effects of
prenatal and postnatal exposure to AFB1 on the livers of exposed offspring. With
this aim, 50 μg/kg/body weight per day AFB1 was administered intraperitoneally (i.p.)
to pregnant and lactating dam rats. Pups grouped as newborns (GD21/PND0) exposed
in utero and infants exposed through breast milk (PND21) were compared with body
weight measurements. Liver tissues were weighed after removal and subjected to
histochemical (HC), immunohistochemical (IHC) and biochemical analyzes. The body
weight and liver weight of exposed newborns were significantly lower than
control (P<0.05). The histomorphological changes were more pronounced in exposed
newborns. A decrease (P<0.05) in the histological score (HSCORE) of cytokeratin
19 (CK19) IHC, fetal stem/progenitor cells marker, and an increase (P<0.05) in
the HSCORE of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) IHC, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)
marker, were detected in both exposed groups. Exposed newborns showed higher
CK19 and AFP HSCORE than exposed infants (P<0.05). Both groups exhibited a low
proliferation index score of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) IHC
(P<0.05). The high apoptotic index score of immunofluorescence (IF) staining of
the terminal deoxytransferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL) method was
significant in exposed newborns (P<0.05). Evaluation of oxidative stress and
antioxidant systems revealed that tissue malondialdehyde (MDA) levels decreased
in exposed newborns and increased in exposed infants (P<0.05), and tissue
catalase (CAT) levels increased in both groups (P<0.05). In conclusion, the
effects of AFB1 exposure during the gestational period occurred more severely,
and the importance of preventing AFB1 exposure was revealed.
To Cite This Article:
Kılıç KD, Gökhan A, Sözmen EY, Uysal A, 2022. Liver histology and biochemistry of exposed
newborn and infant rats with experimental aflatoxicosis. Pak Vet J, 42(4):
453-460. http://dx.doi.org/10.29261/pakvetj/2022.066