EFFECT OF LEAD NITRATE ON THE MYENTERIC PLEXUS OF NILE CATFISH, CLARIAS LAZERA

Document Type : Research article

Author

Dept. of Pathology & Clinical Pathology, Fac. Vet. Med., Assiut Univ.

Abstract

Presence of myenteric plexus in the intestine of catfish has been reported for the first time. Furthermore, the histopathology of these plexus after being exposed to lead has not yet been described. In this study, thirty-six fish were exposed to 4, 8, and 16 ppm of lead nitrate daily for four weeks by gastric gavage. Six control fish received deionized distilled water by the same route. The intestines of both exposed and non-exposed fish were taken at two and four weeks post-administeration with lead and processed for light microscopy. The study showed that the myenteric plexus were found in the anterior, middle, and posterior parts of catfish intestine. Administeration of 8 and 16 ppm of lead nitrate resulted in pyknosis and karyolysis of the neuronal nuclei, loss of denderites and loss of Nissel bodies.

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