Effect of maternal administration of papain on rat foetal liver and kidney

Abstract

Livers and kidneys obtained from 20 day-old rat fetuses whose mothers were given crude papain orally or ip in single or repeated doses during gestation days 8-17 (sperm+=day 0) were examined and processed for histological study. Gross examination of the livers showed dark patchy areas with haemorrhages which were confirmed histologically. The cytoarchitecture of the liver was lost. The degenerating liver cords revealed loss of basophilia and poor PAS stained material. The sinusoids were dilated showing empty spaces. Besides focal hemorrhages, central veins were dilated, congested and showed rupture of endothelial lining. The kidneys were markedly enlarged in the treated cases and showed subcapsular and deeper hemorrhages. Glomeruli were atrophic and shrunken. The tubules showed marked degeneration with dilated empty spaces.