Effect of Pre and Postnatal Exposure to Lead Acetate on the Kidney of Male Albino Rat: A Light and Electron Microscopic Study

Introduction: Lead is a common environmental pollutant to which we are exposed every day and which can be incorporated in various body tissues. Exposure to lead is still a major medical problem in both environmental and occupational settings. Aim of the Work: This study was designed to elucidate the morphologic changes in the kidney of male albino rats after pre and postnatal lead exposure. Materials and Methods: A total number of 6 adult female pregnant albino rats were used in this study. Two of these females were given saline by intraperitoneal injection at late pregnancy till weaning. Ten of their offsprings served as control (Group I). They were given saline for another one month then sacrificed. Four of the pregnant females were given lead acetate in a dose of 10mg/kg/day dissolved in saline by intraperitoneal injection at late pregnancy from day 16 till weaning. Twenty of their offsprings were divided into two groups. Group II (Ten animals) received lead acetate after weaning, in the same dose by intraperitoneal injection for one month then sacrificed. Group III (Ten animals) were left for one month after weaning without injection then sacrificed to study lead withdrawal. The specimens were obtained from the kidney and processed for examination by light, transmission and scanning electron microscopes. Results: It was observed that treatment with lead disrupted the normal histological structure of the kidney.There was degenerative changes in the form of increase in the size of the renal corpuscles, thickening in the glomerular basement membrane and extensive vacuolation of the tubular lining cells. Mild regression of the previous findings was detected in the recovery group. Conclusion: Pre and posrnatal lead exposure is hazardous and has toxicological consequences affecting the kidney of young male albino rat. There was mild regression after one month of lead cessation.