Histological and biochemical changes induced by gibberellic acid in the livers of pregnant albino rats and their offspring: ameliorative effect of Nigella sativa

• Published in: Anatomical science international Vol. 94; no. 4; pp. 307 - 323
• Main Authors: Alsemeh, Amira Ebrahim, Moawad, Rania S., Abdelfattah, Eman R.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Singapore Springer Singapore 01-09-2019; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Administration, Oral; Alanine; Alanine transaminase; Albinism; Anatomy; Animal Anatomy; Animal Physiology; Animals; Animals, Newborn; Apoptosis; Aspartate transaminase; Bcl-2 protein; Catalase; Cell Biology; Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury - etiology; Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury - pathology; Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury - prevention & control; Degeneration; Disease Models, Animal; Enzymatic activity; Female; Fibrosis; Gibberellic acid; Gibberellins - toxicity; Glutathione peroxidase; Growth regulators; Hepatocytes; Histology; Human Physiology; Humans; Inflammation; Lethal Dose 50; Lipid peroxidation; Liver; Liver - drug effects; Liver - pathology; Liver Function Tests; Male; Malondialdehyde; Maternal Exposure - adverse effects; Maternal-Fetal Exchange - drug effects; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Morphology; Mothers; Neurosciences; Nigella sativa; Nigella sativa - chemistry; Offspring; Original Article; Oxidative Stress - drug effects; Placental Circulation; Plant Growth Regulators - toxicity; Plant Oils - administration & dosage; Pregnancy; Rats; Superoxide dismutase; Toxicity; Vegetable oils; Gibberellic acid; MDA; Rat; Liver; Nigella
• ISSN: 1447-6959; 1447-073X
• DOI: 10.1007/s12565-019-00488-0

Gibberellic acid (GA3), a plant growth regulator, is widely used in agriculture in many countries to accelerate the growth of fruits and vegetables. We designed histological, immunohistochemical, and biochemical studies to evaluate the deleterious effects of GA3 on the livers of adult pregnant rats and their offspring and to assess the possible ameliorative effect of
Nigella sativa
Linn. (NsL.oil) against these effects. Twenty-four pregnant albino rats were utilized, randomly divided into four groups: The first group was used as a negative control group, while the second group (positive control group) was provided NsL.oil at a dose of 100 mg/kg of bodyweight. Animals in the third group (GA3 group) were provided 200 ppm of GA3 dissolved in distilled water from the 7th day of pregnancy until 1 day after delivery. Animals in the last group (GA3 + NsL.oil group) were provided GA3 and NsL-oil at the same doses as mentioned above. One day after delivery, each group of lactating mothers and their pups were sacrificed. Liver specimens were subjected to histopathological, immunohistochemical, and biochemical examinations. The livers of rats from the GA3 group showed various degenerative changes, being predominant in the livers of the mothers compared with the offspring. The pathological changes in the livers of the offspring suggested transplacental passage of GA3. The results reveal that GA3 ingestion induced a significant increase in alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate transaminase (AST) activities in the serum of both groups of mothers and their pups, with a significant increment in lipid peroxidation as evidenced by enhanced malondialdehyde (MDA) levels with significant decrements in superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) enzymatic activities in comparison with control groups in the liver of mothers and their offspring. Histopathological examination showed hydropic degeneration and inflammatory cellular infiltration. Additionally, there was fibrosis around the portal area. Moreover, immunolocalization revealed downregulation of the expression of the antiapoptotic marker Bcl-2 in hepatocytes and upregulation of the expression of the apoptotic marker Bax in the treated group. Concomitant use of NsL.oil along with GA3 exerted a considerable reversing effect on histopathological and biochemical changes in the livers of mother groups and their pups. The results of the present study highlight the consequences of exposure to GA3 during pregnancy on hepatic tissue in both mothers and their offspring. Furthermore, the study suggests use of NsL.oil as a potential protective strategy against GA3-induced liver toxicity.