January 2000, Volume 16, Issue 1, Pages 7 – 15

Original Article

Histochemical demonstration of changes in the activity of hepatic phosphatases induced by experimental lead poisoning in male white rats (Rattus norvegicus) BASHIR M. JARRAR1 & ZUHEIR N. MAHMOUD2 1Department of Zoology, College of Science, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2455, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia     2Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, P.O. Box 321, University of Khartoum, Khartoum, Sudan     Correspondence to: BASHIR M. JARRAR, Department of Zoology, College of Science, P.O. Box 2455, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia. E-mail: ntaib@ksu.edu.sa

Keywords

histochemistry;   lead;   liver;   phosphatases;   rat

Abstract

Seven hepatic phosphatases were histochemically investigated in male white rats (Rattus norvegicus) pretreated with chronic subtoxic doses of lead acetate. Lead has increased the activities of alkaline-, acid-, neutral-, adenosine mono- and glucose-6-phosphatase, but has markedly decreased the activity of membrane-bound Na+-K+, ATPase while the activity of mitochondrial Mg2+-ATPase was not altered. It has also produced heterogenous alterations in the distribution patterns, sites of the enzymatic activities and in the intensity of phosphatase activities among the same type of cells in the terminal afferent and efferent venules of the hepatic lobules. The obtained histochemical findings indicate that the alterations in the activities of hepatic phosphatases could be an adaptation to the metabolic, structural and functional changes in the organelles of hepatic cells due to lead intoxication. Toxicology and Industrial Health (2000) 16, 7-15.

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