title: The lack of protective effects of tea supplementation on liver and jejunal epithelium in adult rats exposed to cadmium and lead.
abstract: Adult rats at the age of 12 weeks were divided into the control group and groups supplemented with green (GT), black (BT), red (RT), or white (WT) tea extracts. The diet (except that for the control) was mixed with 7 mg Cd/kg and 50 mg Pb/kg. The experiment lasted 12 weeks. Basal haematology and plasma biochemical parameters as well as the histomorphometrical parameters of jejunal epithelium and liver were determined. The lowest body mass was found in the RT and WT groups. Some functional (increased plasma ALT and AST, and the de Ritis coefficient) and structural changes in the liver (slight fatty degenerative changes, an increase in the intercellular space) were evident irrespective of the type of tea in the Cd and Pb poisoned rats. This toxic effect was visible especially in rats drinking black or red tea. However, the rats had no elevated LDH and ALT activities. The highest content of Cd and Pb in the liver and blood plasma was found in rats drinking red tea. Based on the results obtained, it is clear that long-term exposure of adult rats with a mature intestinal barrier to Cd and Pb contamination, under higher exposure conditions than the current estimates of weekly exposure of the general population to Cd and Pb through diet, causes a toxic effect, especially in the liver, and can change the structure of intestinal mucosa, irrespective of tea administration.
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Physiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, 20-950 Lublin, Poland. Electronic address: ewaRST@interia.pl.
authors.forename: Ewa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tomaszewska
authors.affiliation: Department of Bromatology and Food Physiology, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, 20-950, Poland. Electronic address: anna.mieczan@up.lublin.pl.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Winiarska-Mieczan
authors.affiliation: Department of Comparative Anatomy and Anthropology, Maria Curie-Skłodowska University, 20-033 Lublin, Poland.
authors.forename: Piotr
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Dobrowolski
mesh_terms: D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D000818:Animals; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002104:Cadmium / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000633:toxicity*; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase / Q000097:blood; D007854:Lead / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000633:toxicity*; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects*; D008297:Male; D020011:Protective Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013662:Tea / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D020011:Protective Agents; D013662:Tea; D002104:Cadmium; D007854:Lead; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase; D000410:Alanine Transaminase
keywords: Adult rat; Heavy metal; Histomorphometry; Jejunum; Liver; Tea