Protective Effect of Lepedium sativumagainst 2, 4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic Acid Hepatotoxicity: An Electron Microscopic Study

摘要

Medicinal plants have been used to treat many diseases with fewer side effects compared to clinical medicines. The need for treatment by medicinal plants has been increasing in response to the accumulation of environmental pollutants. The herbicide 2, 4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid has been considered as fast spreadable environmental pollutant, which may cause many disorders in animals and possibly in humans. The aim of this study is to assess the protective and/or curative effect of Lepidium sativum against hepatotoxicity induced by 2, 4-D herbicide in rats. 25 Albino Wistar rats were grouped into 4 groups: a control group, the curative group treated for 4 weeks with LS water extract after a single dose 2, 4-D LD50 administration, protective group which was treated for 4 weeks with LS water extract prior to the 2, 4-D LD50 administration, and LS only group that was given the LS water extract as a positive control. Using transmission electron microscope, the histological features showed that curative group hepatocytes still suffered from focal necrosis and vacuolation of hepatocytes as a result of 2, 4-D toxic effect whereas in the protective group hepatocytes were less accentuated expressed as less frequent necrotic area, and still large mitochondria were present with numerous undissolved lipid droplets and a small amount of rough endoplasmic reticulum. For the LS only group, nearly normal cells with centric nucleus, normal small mitochondria were at a normal nucleus-cytoplasmic ratio, but a few lipid droplets were noticed. This study proved that curative group has an advantage over the protective group that could be presented in the nucleus with narrow nuclear pores and intact nuclear envelope with dense small mitochondria and normal rough endoplasmic reticulum that were recorded as in the control group. Thus, Lepidium sativum administration to the rats prior or post to intoxication was effective in minimizing the 2, 4-D-induced damages likely through a free radical scavenging activity in liver tissue.