Significant Liver Toxicity in Albino Rats Upon Oral Aluminium Administration: A Serious Public Health Implication

Aluminium is widely used in medicines, as food additives, as water purification agent, as in the making of household cookware and storage utensils. Aluminium absorption depends on the chemical form of aluminium taken up. Aluminium hydroxide and chlorides are absorbed more efficiently than its phosphorus and fluorine compounds. As aluminium is stored mainly in the liver,1 the present work is conducted to study the morphological and morphometric changes in the liver produced by aluminium chloride(AICI3). 20 inbred adult albino rats weighing 150-200gm each were administered 37.5mg per day of aluminium chloride orally for 21 days with maintenance of 20 similar controls. A small piece of liver tissue was processed for paraffin sections. 7μ thick sections were stained with hematoxylin and eosin stain and observed under light microscope. The changes were observed at tissue and cellular level along with general architectural derangement, degenerative changes and nuclear variations such as karryorrhexis, pyknosis. These findings are highly conclusive of toxic hepatitis.