Benzene histotoxic and teratogenic effects in exposed mice

Abstract EN

Throughout the last two decades, benzene was a prominent source of an occupational and environmental pollution in Iraq.

Especially from direct contact with private electric generators which were installed closer to homes or even inside every home in Iraq.

As a result of handling without taking enough precautions, environmental threat has increased due to serious toxic, carcinogenic and teratogenic effects of benzene.

Toxicity, carcinogenicity and teratogenicity of this chemical carcinogen were experimented in Swiss albino mice by intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection.

Six-week-old male mice were used as a model for toxicity and carcinogenicity together with female mice were treated with benzene, and newborns were sacrificed to study the teratogenic impact.

During a period of three months, twice per week, male mice were injected with two doses (0.1% and 0.2%) of benzene diluted with corn oil.

Female mice were also treated with (0.1% and 0.2%) of benzene on day 7 prior to gestation at 72 hr intervals for one month and sacrificed 10 days after labor.

At the end of experiment, sections of different organs were histopathologically observed and significant changes were noticed.

Dose-related changes were detected during examination of males' liver showing hepatocyte swelling, degeneration and fibrosis and similarly glomerular enlargement and tubular necrosis of the kidney.

New born mice liver sections showed a significant liver and kidney histological changes.

These results may explain a correlation between tumor incidence and transplacental benzene exposure in mice and shade the light on the potential health risks that Iraqi community exposed to.

Conclusions: When the researchers take into account the degree of damage resulted from direct exposing Albino mice to benzene for a limited period of time, there will be a reasonable wariness because of the increasing level of toxicity and carcinogenicity in the Iraqi environment.