ADRENAL HISTO-TOXICOLOGICAL IMPACTS OF BIFENTHRIN (A CHLORO-FLUORIDATED-PYRETHROID) ARE REVERSED ON NIGELLA SATIVA SEED OIL TREATMENT IN MICE.

The adrenal histopathologies resulting from exposure to the fluoridated insecticide bifenthrin (Bif) and their amelioration upon post-treatment with Nigella sativa (NS) seed oil were explored in mice. Six groups of five animals each, namely (i) Vehicle Control (VC)--0.1 mL corn oil daily for 14 days; (ii) Positive Control (PC)--0.1 mL corn oil for 7 days followed by 0.1 mL of 10% NS seed oil in corn oil (v/v) for the next 7 days; (iii) and (iv) Bif 2.5 mg/kg (Bif2.5) and Bif 5mg/kg (Bif5)--2.5 and 5 mg Bif/kg, respectively, in 0.1 mL corn oil for 7 days + 0.1 mL corn oil only for the next 7 days; and (v) and (vi) Bif 2.5mg/kg+NS (Bif2.5N) and Bif 5 mg/kg+NS (Bif5N)--Bif exposures as in the Bif2.5 and Bif5 groups, respectively, for 7 days + 0.1 mL of 10% NS seed oil in corn oil (v/v) for the next 7 days. All the treatments were provided intragastrically by gavages. The adrenal glands from each animal were processed for histological and micrometric studies after euthanasia on day 15. We found in the medullary part of the adrenal a depletion of the storage granules and a significant enlargement (p≤0.01) in the mean cross-sectional area (CSA) of the chromaffin cells in the Bif2.5 (185±2.6 μm², mean±SEM) and Bif5 (192±2.6 μm²) groups compared to the Bif2.5N (167±1.9 μm²) and Bif5N (158±2.6 μm²) groups. Simultaneously, the basal ×-zone of the cortical regions was breached at scattered places with blood profusion in the zona fasciculata. The number of cells per fascicle in the Bif2.5, Bif5, Bif2.5N, and Bif5N groups (18.6±0.4, 19.4±0.3, 16.3±0.5, and 16.6±0.4, respectively) were significantly higher (p≤0.05) than in the VC and PC groups (14.9±0.3 and 15.5±0.4, respectively). In contrast, the mean CSA of the fascicular cells was significantly higher in the PC (101±2 μm²) and VC (103±2.8 μm²) groups than in the Bif treated groups (75±1.9 μm², 66±2.5 μm², 95±1.8 μm², and 91±2 μm², respectively). The results indicate that the histopathological and micrometric toxicity induced by Bif exposure in the Bif2.5 and Bif5 groups showed a rapid recovery on post-treatment with NS oil indicating that although Bif is potentially toxic to the adrenals, at a daily exposure dose of 2.5 mg/kg or higher for 7 or more days, the adrenal pathologies induced can be rapidly reversed by NS seed oil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]