Does lead acetate intoxication damage acinar cell nuclei in the rat pancreas? ultrastructural observations.

Abstract

The aim of the paper is to make an ultrastructural analysis of the nuclei of the pancreatic acinar cells in the rat in the course of lead acetate intoxication. The experiment used 84 Wistar rats, divided into 3 experimental groups, and a control group. The experimental rats were given aqueous solution of lead acetate in a dose of 50 mg/dm3 in group I, 500 mg/dm3 in group II and 1000 mg/dm3 in group III. The control rats were given tap water. The animals were killed 2,4 and 6 weeks after the experiment. The pancreatic tissue was collected for ultrastructural analysis and lead level was determined in the blood and in dry pancreatic mass in an atomic absorption spectrometer. After 6 weeks of lead acetate administration the levels increased 5 to 10-fold compared with the control group. It was ultrastructurally demonstrated that a low dose of lead caused chromatin margination, extension of perinuclear space and folding of acinar cell nucleus contours. Chronic administration of high lead doses resulted in the formation of pseudoinclusions and intranuclear real inclusions of the lead-protein complex. The alterations provided evidence of the toxic effect of lead upon the acinar cells nuclei in the pancreas.