The Study of the Possible Protection of Vitamin E on Chlorpyrifos-Induced Lung Toxicity in Albino Rats, IBRAHIM L. ABDALLA, EHAB A. EL-SHAARAWY, GAMAL H. MOHAMED and MOHAMED M. ABD EL-MOATY
Abstract
Background: Organophosphate [OP] insecticides are used in the agricultural and domestic pest control, accounting for 50% of the global insecticidal use. Chlorpyrifos [CPF] is one of the most widely used OP insecticides until 2000 when the United States Environmental Protection Agency restricted some of its domestic uses due to its toxicity. Many drugs including Vitamin E had been tried in combination with chlorpyrifos exposure aiming to reduce these adverse effects.
Aim of the Work: To detect the histological and ultrastructurai changes of chlorpyrifos toxicity in the lungs of adult male albino rat and the possible protective role of vitamin E.
Material and Methods: The present work was carried out on sixty albino rats which were divided into three main groups; Group I: The control group which was subdivided into normal control and sham control, Group IL Chlorpyrifos-treated group which received 1/4LD50 of chlorpyrifos and Group Ш: chlorpyrifos with vitamin E-treated group which received 1/4LD50 of chlorpyrifos and vitamin E. All groups were further subdivided into two subgroups: Subgroup A whose rats were sacrificed after one week and Subgroup B whose rats were sacrificed after three weeks.
Results: The histological study of the lungs of Group ц showed extensive damage with loss of normal alveolar pattern, diffuse cellular infiltration resulting in massive consolidation and large irregular emphysematous air space. Electron microscopic study demonstrated pneumocytes with shrunken and pyknotic nuclei. In comparison with Group II-A, the histological and dustbin sections of rats of Group II-B exhibited excessive collagen deposition and chronic inflammatory cell infiltrations. These alterations were improved in Group III whose rats received vitamin E in combination with chlorpyrifos. Conclusion: This study showed that chlorpyrifos had deleterious effects on the lungs of alЬiлo rats and these effects were markedly decreased with the concomitant use of vitamin