Renal Histopathology and Serum Biochemistry of Cadmium-exposed Rabbit Bucks Administered Methanolic Extract of Phoenix dactylifera Fruit

Abstract

Cadmium (Cd), a prevalent heavy metal pollutant, is known for its harmful effects on physiological functions within the biological system. In this study, the effects of Cd exposure on some kidney related biochemical and histopathological parameters in rabbits were investigated, alongside exploring the potential protective role of methanolic extract from Phoenix dactylifera (MEPD) on the kidney. The study included 45 male rabbits, aged 24-28 weeks and weighing approximately 1.41-1.43 kg were assigned into five (5) treatment groups (control, Cd-only, Cd + 300 mg MEPD, Cd + 600 mg MEPD and Cd + 900 mg MEPD) in a completely randomized design. The rabbits received a 7-day dose of 3 mg CdCl₂/kg feed, followed by MEPD every 72 hours for 28 days. Results revealed higher significant (P<0.05) differences in serum glucose, urea and creatinine in Cd-only treated group when compared with the control group. MEPD treatment significantly (P<0.05) lowered serum glucose levels in Cd-exposed rabbits, indicating a potential glycemic modulating activity, but had no significant (P>0.05) effect on urea and creatinine concentrations. High density lipoprotein (HDL), low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and cholesterol ratios were not significantly different but showed marginal improvement in the Cd+MEPD groups compared to the Cd-only group. The findings also revealed significant differences in both absolute and relative kidney weights between the group treated with Cd alone and the control group, indicating potential renal injury induced by Cd. Histopathological examination revealed kidney damage in Cd-exposed rabbits, with observed changes such as disruption of Bowman’s capsule, glomerular shrinkage, degeneration of renal tubules and haemorrhage. The administration of MEPD did not ameliorate the observed histopathological alterations. In conclusion, this study suggests that Cd exposure may induce hyperglycemia and kidney injury in rabbits. MEPD treatment demonstrated some protective effects against Cd-induced hyperglycemia but did not significantly mitigate kidney damage.