95 / 2019-10-13 13:27:58

Effects of Microcystin-LR on the biochemical parameters and Microstructure of Kidney in Mice

microcystin-LR; chronic oral exposure; nephrotoxicity; mice

ABSTRACT
Microcystin-LR (MC-LR) is a potent hepatotoxin, but increasing evidences suggest that it might also accumulate and induce toxicity in kidney. However, nephrotoxicity induced by prolonged oral exposure to MC-LR is unknown. The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential influence of MC-LR on the renal biological function and pathological structure in mice following chronic exposure to MC-LR. In this study, we evaluated the nephrotoxicity of MC-LR in mice drinking water at different concentrations (1, 30, 60, 90 and 120 μg/L) for 6 months for the first time. The results showed that the biochemical parameters of renal function revealed that the serum creatinine (SCr) levels were not significant changes after exposure to MC-LR. The blood urea nitrogen (BUN) levels were markedly decreased after exposure to 90 and 120μg/L MC-LR for 3 months. In addition, the histopathological investigation revealed enlarged renal corpuscles, widened of kidney tubules, and lymphocyte infiltration in the interstitial tissue and the renal pelvis after exposure to 60, 90 and 120μg/L MC-LR. Consequently, our results suggested that long-term exposure to MC-LR might be one important risk of kidney injury, which will provide important clues to the prevention of renal impairment.