The purpose of the study was to experimentally study and compare the morphometric parameters of the ovaries of rats against the background of exposure to chloride and cadmium citrate during 13 or 20 days of gestation. Materials and methods. The study was carried out on 60 adult white female Wistar rats weighing 170–200 g, divided into 3 groups, depending on the intragastric administration of solutions of the studied metals – rats receiving cadmium chloride at a dose of 1.0 mg/kg – Group 1 (n females = 20); cadmium citrate at a dose of 1.0 mg/kg – Group 2 (n females = 20), Group 3 – control (n females = 20) – a proportional volume of sterile saline in the same way. In each experimental group, the females were divided into 2 subgroups of 10 animals each, depending on the duration of the administration of the test substances (13 or 20 days), the possible effect of which on the morphometric parameters of the ovaries was determined by the change in the average absolute and relative weight, volume, specific gravity and number of corpus luteum in the ovaries. Results and discussion. It was established that under the action of cadmium salts (chloride and citrate) the weight indices of rats of the experimental groups decreased by 4.2%-8.9% relative to the control group. In the cadmium chloride exposure group, the indicators of absolute mass, relative mass and volume of the ovaries increased as on the 13th day by 7.1%; 14.4%; 14.6%, and on the 20th day by 9.3%; 15.0%; 5.2% respectively. The same trend was observed in the group of action of cadmium citrate: the listed indicators increased by 3.2% on the 13th day of gestation by 12.0%; 5.63%, and on the 20th day by 3.7%; 5.4%; 13.9%, respectively, which is presumably due to edema and hypertrophy. When analyzing the specific gravity of the ovaries – an integral indicator that reflects the mass, linear dimensions and volume of organs, it was found that on the 13th day of gestation, both under the action of cadmium chloride and cadmium citrate, this indicator decreased by 3.12% (D No.1) and 2.08% (D No.2). On the 20th day of pregnancy in the experimental group No. 1, this indicator decreased by 1.03%, while in the experimental group No. 2 it increased by 2.1%, which indicates the compaction of the organ. The analysis of the obtained results showed that on the 13th day of gestation, the lowest average value of the number of corpus luteum per 1 female was observed in the group exposed to cadmium chloride and amounted to 10.00±0.27, the highest one was in the control group on the 20th day and amounted to 11.00±0.71. Conclusion. The results obtained demonstrate changes in the morphometric parameters of the ovaries of pregnant female rats with intragastric administration of cadmium chloride and cadmium citrate to Wistar rats at a dose of 1.0 mg/kg (in terms of metal), and are expressed in an increase in absolute and relative weight and indicate the toxic effect of the studied substances on the gonads of experimental animals
Keywords: ovaries, absolute mass, cadmium citrate, cadmium chloride, specific gravity, corpus luteum, ovarian volume
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