Histopathological Changes in The Spinal Cord Tissue of Rats Administered an Experimental Mussel Diet

Year 2024, , 289 - 296, 19.09.2024

İlker Ünlü , İlhan Özdemir , M. Cudi Tuncer , Şamil Öztürk

https://doi.org/10.5798/dicletip.1552285

Abstract

Aim: Regional eating habits show that it causes neurodegenerative problems due to heavy metals that can accumulate in consumed foods and affect tissues such as the nervous system. Since crustaceans such as mussels feed by filtering the water, they are exposed to toxic plankton and various chemicals, especially heavy metals. Due to the limitations of experimental studies on this subject, the effects of mussel consumption on the spinal cord were investigated.
Methods: In this study, histopathological changes in the spinal cord tissue of rats fed with shellfish collected from the Dardanelles were determined. The subjects were divided into two groups, and the first group was fed standard rat food for 4 weeks, and the second group was fed a mussel diet. At the end of the study, spinal cord tissue samples taken from rats were subjected to routine histopathological procedures and evaluated under a light microscope.
Results: In the experimental group, a decrease in the number of neurons in the medulla spinalis and an increase in the number of astrocytes were noted. TUNEL staining showed that apoptosis occurred intensively in glial cells, but did not occur in anterior and posterior horn motor neurons.
Conclusion: The findings showed that long-term mussel consumption can cause axonal damage in motor and sensory neurons and degeneration in glial cells. For this reason, it is important for health that marine diets in coastal areas are made with healthy and hygienic products.

Keywords

Medulla spinalis, neuronal degeneration, apoptosis, mussel

References

• 1.Chen P, Miah MR, Aschner M. Metals andNeurodegeneration. F1000Res. 2016; 5: F1000Faculty Rev-366.
• 2.Agnihotri SK, Kesari KK. Mechanistic effect ofheavy metals in neurological disorder and braincancer. In Networking of Mutagens inEnvironmental Toxicology. Springer. 2019; 25-47.
• 3.Witkowska D, Słowik J, Chilicka K. Heavy metalsandhuman health: Possible exposure pathways andthe competition forprotein binding sites. Molecules.2021; 26(19): 6060.
• 4.Kothapalli CR. Differential impact of heavy metalson neurotoxicity during development and in agingcentral nervous system. Current Opinion inToxicology. 2021; 26: 33-38.
• 5.Singh A, Kukreti R, Saso L, et al. Oxidative Stress:A Key Modulator in Neurodegenerative Diseases.Molecules. 2019; 24(8): 1583.
• 6.Koszewicz M, Markowska K, Waliszewska-ProsolM, et al. The impact of chronic co-exposure todifferent heavy metals on small fibers of peripheralnerves. A study of metal industry workers. Journal ofOccupational Medicine and Toxicology.2021;16(1):1-8.
• 7.Akçalı İ, Küçüksezgin F. Bioaccumulation of heavymetals by the brown alga Cystoseira sp. along theAegean Sea. E.U. Journal of Fisheries & AquaticSciences. 2009; 3: 159-163.
• 8.Atabeyoğlu K, Atamanalp M. Yumuşakçalarda(Molluska) YapılanAğır Metal Çalışmaları. AtatürkÜniversitesiVeterinerBilimleriDergisi. 2010; 5: 35-42.
• 9.Öztürk Ş, Sönmez P, Özdemir İ, et al. Antiapoptoticand proliferative effect of bone marrow-derivedmesenchymal stem cells on experimental ashermanmodel. Çukurova Medical Journal. 2019; 44: 434-446.
• 10.Yİ Y, Yang Z, Zhang S. Ecological risk assessmentof heavy metals in sediment and human health riskassessment of heavy metals in fishes in the middleand lower reachesof the Yangtze River basin.Environmental Pollution. 2011; 159: 2575-85.
• 11.Çakına S, İrkin LC, Özdemir İ, et al. Effect ofMediterranean mussels (Mytilusgalloprovincialis)from polluted areas on hepatotoicity in rats byimmunuhistochemical method.ActaAquaticaTurcica. 2021; 17(1): 108-118.
• 12.İrkin LC, Öztürk Ş. Adverse effects ofRuditapesdecussatus (Linnaeus, 1758) diet onstomach tissues in rats. Marine Science andTechnology Bulletin. 2021; 10(2): 201-206.
• 13.Klaassen, C. D. (Ed.). Casarett and Doull'stoxicology: the basic science of poisons. New York:McGraw-Hill. 2013; 1236: 189-190.
• 14.Roy NM, DeWolf S, Carneiro B. Evaluation of thedevelopmental toxicity of lead in the Danio reriobody. AquatToxicol. 2015; 158: 138-48.
• 15.Gomes C, Cunha C, Nascimento F, et al. Corticalneurotoxic astrocytes with early ALS pathology andmiR-146a deficit replicate gliosis markers ofsymptomatic SOD1G93A mouse model.MolNeurobiol. 2018; 56(3): 2137-2158.
• 16.Pamphlett R, Kum Jew S. Age-related uptakeofheavy metals in human spinal interneurons. PLoSOne. 2016; 11(9): e0162260.
• 17.Dabrowska-Bouta B, Struzynska L, Walski M, etal. Myelin glycoproteins targeted by lead in therodent model of prolonged exposure. FoodChemToxicol. 2008; 46(3): 961-6.
• 18.Ilieva EV, Ayala V, Jove M, et al. Oxidative andendoplasmic reticulum stress interplay in sporadicamyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Brain. 2007; 130(Pt12): 3111-23.
• 19.Abdelhakiem MAH, Abdelbaset AE, Abd-Elkareem M, et al. Clinical blood gas indices andhistopathological effects of intrathecal injection oftolfenamic acid and lidocaine Hcl in donkeys. CompClinPathol. 2020; 29: 83-93.
• 20.Villa-Cedillo SA, Nava-Hernández MP, Soto-Domínguez A, et al. Neurodegeneration,demyelination, and astrogliosis in rat spinal cord bychronic lead treatment. Cell Biol Int. 2019; 43(6):706‐714.
• 21.Ma T, Wu X, Cai Q, et al. Lead poisoning disturbsoligodendrocytes differentiation involved indecreased expression of NCX3 inducing intracellular calcium overload. Int J Mol Sci. 2015; 16(8): 19096-110.
• 22.Caprariello AV, Mangla S, Miller RH, et al.Apoptosis of oligodendrocytes in the centralnervous system results in rapid focal demyelination. Ann Neurol. 2012; 72(3): 395-405.