Adult Rat Liver After Subchronic Acrylamide Treatment: Histological, Stereological and Biochemical Study

SUMMARY: Acrylamide (AA) is a widely used chemical and an important monomer in various industrial and laboratory processes. In addition, AA is formed during processing of starchy food at high temperature. The aim of our study was to examine effects of subchronic AA treatment on adult rat liver using histological, stereological and biochemical methods. Adult male Wistar rats were treated with AA at doses of 25 mg/kg b.w. and 50 mg/kg b.w. for three weeks. Stereological analysis showed decrease of volume density of hepatocyte cytoplasm, and increase of volume density of hepatocyte nuclei and nucleocytoplasmic ratio in AA50mg group. Immunohistochemical analysis of the liver sections showed that treatment with AA50mg increase the percentage of PCNA positive cells, while the percentage of caspase 3 positive cells was not affected by AA. PAS-staining showed that glycogen content in hepatocytes was not affected by AA. Serological examination revealed increase of lipid peroxidation in AA50mg group, while total protein concentration, protein thiol group level, as well as, paraoxonase 1 activity were not changed in AA-exposed animals. Stereological and immunohistochemical analyses of adult liver sections suggest increase of proliferation in AA50mg group, while increase of lipid peroxidation in serum of AA50mg group indicates oxidative stress induction.