Histopathological and histochemical effects of nicotine on the liver and kidney of adult male rats

Abstract EN

Background/aim Nicotine is the more abundant alkaloid component contained in tobacco.

Smoking causes numerous diseases that are associated with anemia.

Nicotine is metabolized primarily by the liver, and to a lesser extent, by the kidney.

The aim of this study was to investigate the iron distribution and histopathological changes in liver and kidney tissues of rats administered with nicotine.

Materials and methods This study was performed on thirty adult male albino rats.

Animals were divided into three groups (10 each).

Group I served as control rats, which were injected subcutaneously with 1 ml of normal saline; group II rats were injected subcutaneously with nicotine at a dose of 0.25 mg/kg/day; and group III rats were injected subcutaneously with nicotine at a dose of 0.5 mg/kg/day for 8 weeks.

At the end of the experiment, the animals were killed under ether anesthesia.

Liver and kidney tissues specimens were prepared by routine histological procedures and examined under a light microscope.

Results Injection with nicotine showed iron deposition inside the liver sinusoids, seen as green bluish stain.

In addition, scattered iron intracellular deposition appeared as scattered bluish dots in kidney.

Histopathological examination of liver specimens from rats injected subcutaneously with nicotine showed mononuclear cell infiltration and that some of the hepatocytes had a hyperchromatic nucleus and enlarged sinusoids as compared with the control ones.

However, kidney specimens showed some vacuolated tubular cells, few dilated tubules, and the presence of intraluminal casts in some tubules.

Conclusion This study indicated that subcutaneous injection of nicotine causes iron deposition in the liver and kidney and is associated with structural damage.