A study of chromium and ethanol toxicity in female Wistar rats

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the interactive toxicity of ethanol (EtOH) with potassium dichromate (K₂Cr₂O₇ ‐ chromium). Young female Wistar rats (100–105 gms) were divided into four groups of 5 to 6 each were dosed through water 10% EtOH (v/v) or 25 ppm chromium or 10% EtOH + 25 ppm chromium for a period of 22 weeks ad libitum, and were maintained on normal diet. The control animals received plain water and normal diet. There was slight increase in terminal body weight of EtOH treated animals and no change in body weight of chromium and EtOH + chromium treated rats. The liver weight/body weight ratio was significantly increased in the EtOH + chromium treated rats followed by chromium and EtOH. The serum succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) levels were significantly low in the EtOH and EtOH + chromium treated groups. Alkaline and acid phosphatase (ALP and ACP) levels were significantly increased in EtOH and chromium alone treated rats and a similar trend was seen in serum aspartate (GOT) and alanine (GPT) aminotransferase levels in the treated groups. The liver and serum triglycerides, cholestrol, liver glycogen and serum glucose showed remarkable changes in their levels in the treated groups indicating perturbed lipid and carbohydrate metabolism. Glutathione (GSH) levels were significantly decreased in the liver of EtOH and EtOH + chromium treated rats and kidney GSH was significantly low in all the three treated groups. The lipid peroxidation in the liver of EtOH and EtOH + chromium treated group was significantly high compared to control and chromium treated groups. To substantiate these above findings, histology of liver and kidney was undertaken. The liver of alcohol treated rats showed altered hepatic architecture in the centrilobular and periportal area, with increased sinusoidal space, vacuolation and necrosis of hepatocytes. Similar changes were observed in the histology of liver of chromium treated rats, except that the damage to the hepatocytes was more pronounced in the periportal area. Moreover, histology of liver and alcohol and chromium treated rats showed uniform damage in both centrilobular and periportal areas, as found in individual treatment groups. The histology of kidney in the three treated groups showed significant damage to renal tubules and the Bowmans capsule was found to be diffused rather than compact due to degeneration of basement membrane. These findings correlate well with serum enzyme levels found in these treated groups.