Adverse Haemato-Biochemical Effects of Chlorinated Insecticide in Adult Male Rats.

The 1,1,1-trichloro-2,2-bis (4-chlorophenyl) ethane (p,p’-DDT) is a highly toxic organochlorine pesticide and posing adverse effects on the environment and public health due to its frequent usage in developing countries. The present study is aimed to investigate the effects of p,p’-DDT exposure on some hematological and biochemical parameters, as well as, histopathological changes in liver. Male Wistar rats received an intraperitoneal (ip) injection of the pesticide at doses of 50 and 100mg/kg for 10 consecutive days. The hematological parameters were evaluated by the level of red blood cells (RBC), white blood cells (WBC), platelet count (PLT), hemoglobin (Hb) and hematocrit (Ht). The biochemical parameters such as liver glycogen, blood glucose, triglycerides (TG) and plasma alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels were determined. In addition, histological changes in the liver, proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and proliferation index (PI) were analyzed. After 10 days of treatment, hematological analysis revealed a significant increase of RBC, Hb and Ht levels while WBC and PLT counts were significantly decreased. Also, the liver glycogen and TG contents were decreased, whereas blood glucose, ALT, AST and LDH levels were increased. Histopathological examination of the liver revealed pronounced morphological alterations with cytoplasmic vacuolation, focal necrosis, sinusoidal congestion, infiltration of inflammatory leucocytes and loss of hepatic structure in periportal areas of treated rats. Immunohistochemical staining showed an increase in PCNA- positive cells in liver of treated rats. In addition, the PI and the percentage of binucleated hepatocytes cells were significantly increased in liver of DDT-treated rats. These results clearly suggest that DDT sub-acute treatment causes extensive changes in hematological and biochemical parameters leading to liver damage.