ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Impact of Melatonin on Mercury
Chloride-induced Hepatorenal
Histopathological Alterations in Rats
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1
Department of Medical Laboratory Technic, Erbil Technical Health and Medical College,
Erbil Polytechnic University, Erbil, Iraq
2
Department of Biology, College of Science, Salahaddin University-Erbil, Erbil, Kurdistan Region, Iraq
3
Department of Medical Laboratory Technology, Al-Qalam University College, Kirkuk, Iraq
Submission date: 2023-11-22
Final revision date: 2024-05-19
Acceptance date: 2024-07-09
Online publication date: 2024-11-18
Corresponding author
Hero Mustafa
Department of Pathology, Hawler Medical University, Iraq
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ABSTRACT
Mercury is considered a risk factor for the development of hypertension and other cardiovascular
diseases. Heavy metal mercury chloride (HgCl2) is poisonous and has been linked to significant liver
and kidney damage in both humans and animals. Melatonin (MEL) has been discovered to have strong
antioxidant qualities that may reduce HgCl2-induced oxidative stress and related tissue damage. This
investigation aims to find out whether MEL may have protective effects on HgCl2-induced oxidative
stress, malondialdehyde (MDA) generation, kidney, liver, heart, thyroid gland, and brain histopathological
changes in rats. The experimental animals were divided at random into three groups. Group 1 (control),
Group 2 (HgCl2 treated), and Group 3 (HgCl2 + MEL treated) for 28 days, and ALP, ALT, and AST were
examined as liver function test indicators. Serum MDA levels in HgCl2-treated rats were considerably
(P0.05) higher than in the control group. While MEL administration for 5 weeks significantly reduced
it when compared to HgCl2-treated rats. The kidney, liver, heart, thyroid gland, and brain sections
from the control group exhibited a normal arrangement. Conversely, rats treated with HgCl2 displayed
distinct histopathological changes in these tissues. Intriguingly, these histopathological degenerative
changes didn’t appear in the HgCl2 and MEL-treated group. Conclusion: This study demonstrated
that HgCl2 exposure induces oxidative stress, leading to organ damage and histopathological changes
in rats. Melatonin supplementation showed promise in decreasing oxidative stress-induced damage
by removing free radicals, enhancing antioxidant enzymes, and decreasing MDA levels. While MEL
exhibited potential protective effects in mitigating inflammatory responses, edema, and degeneration
in various organs, further research is needed to fully understand its mechanisms and optimize treatment
strategies for combating mercury-induced toxicity.