Ameliorative Effect of Vernonia amygdalina Plant Extract on Heavy Metal-Induced Liver and Kidney Dysfunction in Rats

Figure 1

Cross sections of the liver stained with H&E. (a, b) Hepatic tissue of the control group demonstrating normal parenchymal structure, intact lamellar pattern of the hepatocytes (H) and Kupffer cells, and normal sinusoidal architecture (S), and no significant lesions were observed. (c, d) Hepatic tissue of Pb only treated rat showing evidence of focal necrotic areas accompanied with inflammatory cell infiltrations (black dotted circle) and high distributed necrosis (yellow arrows) in the liver. (e) Hepatic tissue of Cu only treated rat showing evidence of high distributed necrosis in the liver (yellow arrows). (f, g) Hepatic tissue of both Cu and Pb recovery group rats, respectively, showing evidence of focal necrotic areas accompanied with inflammatory cell infiltrations (black and yellow dotted circles) and mild disseminated necrosis in the liver. (h–j) Hepatic tissue of rat treated with heavy metals + 100 mg, 200 mg, and 300 mg of EEVA, respectively, showing improvement in parenchymal structure and normal hepatic histoarchitecture (mic. mag. (a, c, e, f, h, i) ×100; (b, d, g) ×400).