EFFECT OF NICOTINE SMOKE ON LIVER AND KIDNEYS OF ADULT MALE ALBINO RATS: AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY
Apart from heart and lungs, being cited as the main affected organs by nicotine smoke and hence, contributing for the morbidity and mortality, other organs like kidneys, gastrointestinal tract, liver, reproductive organs, endocrine glands, skin etc. are also affected. In the current study we planned to evaluate the effects of nicotine smoke on liver and kidneys. The study was conducted on 12 inbred adult Wistar albino rats; 6 animals acting as control and remaining 6 acting as test group. The animals of control group were given only sterile water where as animals of test group were exposed to smoke produced from the nicotine wrapped in a cotton wool in the dose of 6mg/day three times a day for each session of 5 minutes each for 5 days. Each rat was exposed to the smoke produced due to nicotine separately in a closed inhalational chamber and not in groups. The rats were sacrificed after the period of experimentation and testis were dissected out and subjected further to tissue processing for histological examination. The histological examination of tissue sections of liver of test group animals revealed distorted or normal lobular architecture of hepatic lobules with dilated and congested central vein, portal venule and hepatic sinusoids. Also, there was presence of focal inflammatory aggregates especially around bile canaliculi at portal triads. On the other hand, the tissue sections of liver of control group showed normal hepatic architecture with normal hepatocytes. The renal specimens of the control group also demonstrated normal renal architectural pattern; with glomeruli surrounded by urinary space and renal tubules present in cortex and medulla composed of collecting tubules, loop of henle and convoluted tubules. On the contrary, the renal sections of test group showed dilation of urinary space, shrunken and distorted glomeruli with some renal tubules showing solid cord like pattern and some showing eosinophilic material in lumen, focal inflammatory infiltrates and renal congestion. Keywords: Nicotine smoke, liver, kidney