A histopathological study of liver and kidney in male Wistar rats treated with subtoxic doses of t-butyl alcohol and trichloroacetic acid.

Tertiary butyl alcohol and trichloroacetic acid are known to be contaminants in drinking water. In order to evaluate the interactive toxicity of t-butyl alcohol with trichloroacetic acid, young male Wistar rats were dosed through water at a dose level of t-butyl alcohol (TBA)-0.5% (v/v), trichloroacetic acid (TCA)-25 ppm and a combined dose of TBA + TCA (0.5% v/v TBA-25 ppm TCA) for a period of 10 weeks ad libitum and were maintained on normal diet. The control animals received plain water and normal diet. The liver and kidney histology was undertaken to see whether subtoxic administration of TBA and TCA individually as well as combined administration for a period of 10 weeks would bring about any histological alterations. It was observed that TBA, TCA and TBA + TCA caused histological alterations in the liver such as centrilobular necrosis, vacuolation in hepatocytes and loss of hepatic architecture. TBA and TBA + TCA caused periportal proliferation and lymphocytic infiltration. Hypertrophy of hepatocytes in the periportal area was a characteristic feature in the liver of TCA treated rats. Moreover, in the histology of the kidney, in the three treated groups, degeneration of renal tubules, with syncitial arrangements of the nucleus of renal tubular epithelial cells was evident. In addition to this, degeneration of the basement membrane of the Bowmans capsule, diffused glomeruli and vacuolation of glomeruli was also evident in the three treated rat kidneys. Renal tubular proliferation in certain areas was also evident in certain areas of the kidney in TCA treated rats. The results indicate that, TBA and TCA do bring about alterations in histology of liver and kidney, but on combined administration, do not show enhanced toxicity in the form of increased hepatic and renal injury.