title: [Study on effect of heavy metal cadmium ions on the ultramicrostructure damage of Pheretima aspergillum gastrointestinal epithelial cells].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the effect of cadmium ions of different concentrations on gastrointestinal epithelial cells structure of Pheretima aspegillum (PA).
  
  
  METHODS
  PA were contaminated with cadmium ions of different concentrations,and the structure of the body skin was observed, under light microscope and transmission electron microscope.
  
  
  RESULTS
  With the increasing of cadmium ions concentration, a large number of lysosomal hyperplasia could be seen in the PA intestinal epithelial cells, the Golgi complex distributed around, and some Golgi complex hyperplasiaed, extended to a large bubble, microvilli, cilia arranged in irregular, disordered. While in the group contaminated with the high concentration cadmium ions, such as 30 mg/kg, the microvilli of the PA intestinal epithelial cells contracted, necrotic ulcer lesions occurred in the ciliated cells.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The ultrastructure damage extent of PA gastrointestinal epithelial cells is dependent on the amount of the heavy metal contamination. PA with lower concentration Cd contamination shows mainly lysosomal proliferation, indicating heavy metal accumulation in lysosomes to eliminate toxic substances as a responsible reaction, this kind of damage is reversible. However, PA with higher concentration Cd contamination shows mainly microvilli and mitochondrial damage, nuclear membrane disintegration, nucleoplasm spillover, leading to necrosis, irreversible damage, indicating heavy metal accumulation of PA is related to this trait of intestinal epithelial cells.
authors.affiliation: Guangzhou Medical College, Guangzhou 510182, China.
authors.forename: Bo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Yu-Mei
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Fu
authors.forename: Liang-Wen
authors.initials: LW
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Peng
authors.forename: Hui-Qiu
authors.initials: HQ
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002104:Cadmium / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity*; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000473:pathology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000166:cytology / Q000473:pathology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D009835:Oligochaeta; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity*
chemical_list: D012989:Soil Pollutants; D002104:Cadmium