Unexpected Lack of Deleterious Effects of Uranium on Physiological Systems following a Chronic Oral Intake in Adult Rat
Table 5
Histological alterations in intestine, kidney, and liver from rats contaminated with uranium in drinking water for 9 months.
Parameters
Noncontaminated
Uranium (mg/L)
0.2
10
40
120
Intestine
Villous epithelial injury
0
0
0
0
0
Villous atrophy
0
0
0
0
0
Crypt hyperplasia
0
0
0
0
0
Crypt distension
0
0
0
0
0
Goblet cell hyperplasia
0
0
0
0
0
Inflammation
0
0
0
0
0
Mucosal fibrosis
0
0
0
0
0
Kidney
Mesangial proliferation/glomerulosclerosis
0
0
0
0
0
Glomerular cystic dilation
0.08
0
0.1
0
0
Tubular necrosis
0
0
0
0
0
Tubular regeneration
0.67
0.5
0.8
0.75
0.4
Tubular dilation
0.67
0.6
0.4
0.33
0.3
Tubular inflammation
0.83
1
0.9
1
1
Interstitial fibrosis
0.42
0.1
0.3
0.33
0
Liver
Portal inflammation
1
1
1
1
1
Intralobular inflammation
0.92
0.9
1
0.67
0.9
Periportal necrosis
0
0
0
0
0
Intralobular necrosis
0
0
0
0
0
Cytoplasmic vacuolation
0.67
1.2
1.4
1.67*
2.2*
Fibrosis
0
0
0
0
0
Intestinal lesions scoring: group means (scores/3), with –8. Renal lesions scoring: group means (scores/4), with -6. Hepatic lesions scoring: group means (scores/4), with -6.
*P < 0.05 between groups (one-way ANOVA analysis).