Histological and Hormonal Study of the Protective Effect of the Calotropis Procera Against the Toxicity of Mercury Chloride

Abstract

We undertook this study with the aim of investigating the detoxification of an extreme toxic metal mercury chloride by the Calotropis procera plant taken from the Algerian Sahara. We studied the protective effects of the plant Calotropis procera against renal toxicity and Mercury chloride-induced hepatic. Ten male and female albino rats Wistar were divided into four equal groups. Group (I) served as a healthy control group, group (II) were intra-peritoneal administered with 10 ml of Calotropis procera, group (III) were intra-peritoneal administrated with both 10 ml of the plant Calotropis procera and 0.2 mg of mercuric chloride (HgCl2) and group (IV) were intraperitoneal administrated with both 0.2 mg of mercuric chlorid (HgCl2) and 10 ml of the plant Calotropis. All groups were treated for 20 days. Mercury chloride causes a slight increase in glomerular cellularitis in the kidneys of male and female rats. Treatment with Calotropis procera had significantly improving protective effects of kidney of female rats from toxicity of mercuric chloride. Calotropis procera causes a thyroid-like appearance in the glomeruli of the male kidneys to hide the lesions of mercury chloride. Our results have shown that the plant Calotropis procera completely protects the liver of female rats against the toxicity of mercury chloride. In the liver of male rats, mercury chloride causes macro-vacuolar steatosis. Treatment with Calotrpois procera hid the hepatic steatosis of male rats and centralized them in the center under the aspect of peri-centro-lobular medio-vacuolar steatosis. Mercuric chloride caused a decrease in the secretion of the hormone ACTH in the group of male and female rats. Treatment with Calotropis procera caused increased ACTH levels in female rats and did not cause ACTH changes in male rats. Our results demonstrate from hormone analyzes of the hormone ACTH that female rats are resistant more than male rats via the toxicity of mercury chloride.