Abstract
Purpose: The use of aluminum chloride (AlCl3) as in purification of water and the exposure to ionizing radiation (IR) in therapeutic treatments are believed to be relatively safe. However, their combined effects remain unclear. The aim of the present study is to investigate the effects of concomitant exposure to aluminum chloride and gamma radiation on the histological and ultra-structural pattern of the crypt Paneth cells (PC) of the small intestine in albino rats.
Materials and methods: Forty male albino rats were divided randomly into four groups (n = 10). Group 1: Control group, Group 2: Aluminum treated group (Rats received a daily a dose of 0.5 mg of AlCl3 per kg of body weight/day), Group 3: gamma-Radiation group (rats are exposed to a total dose of 8 Gy in 4 fractions of 2 Gy/week) and Group 4 Rats exposed to AlCl3 and exposed to gamma-Radiation. Animals were sacrificed after 4 weeks, one day after the last radiation dose.
Results: Histological and ultra-structural studies in small intestine showed that exposure to gamma-rays induced alterations in PC including apoptotic nuclei, presence of injury in secretory granules and completely damaged organelles at the sites of bacterial translocation in the crypt of lumens. Aluminum exposure during irradiation potentiate the damage notified by abnormal PC morphology, dilation the crypt's lumen and erosions of its villi with increased apoptosis in the crypt cells and appearance of homogenously electron-lucent granules.
Conclusions: It is concluded that concomitant exposure to aluminum and IR increased detrimental structural changes in PC of rat intestine due to their combined effect. It is thus recommended to limit the intake of aluminum when human are at risk of over exposure to ionizing radiation. Copyright (C) 2016, The Egyptian Society of Radiation Sciences and Applications. Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V.