Effect of Bee Bread (Perga) on Histopathological Changes and Immunohistochemical Expression of Apoptosis Markers in the Kidney of Rats Exposed to Cadmium

Cadmium (Cd) is an environmental and industrial pollutant that causes toxicity in various organs in humans and animals. Bee bread (perga) is a natural flavonoid with a wide range of pharmacological properties. This study was conducted to examine the effects of perga on Cd-induced nephrotoxicity. Thirty-two male Wistar rats were randomly divided into 4 groups, as the Control group, Cd group (5 mg/kg/day, orally), Perga group (0.5 g/kg/day, orally), and Cd + Perga group. At the end of the 28-day experiment, kidney tissue samples were taken and histopathological, immunohistochemical, and biochemical analyses were performed. Histopathologically, severe tubular and glomerular damage occurred as a result of Cd exposure in the Cd group. Immunohistochemically, there was an increase in caspas-3 and Bax expression in the renal tissue in the Cd group. According to the biochemical results, while the catalase, superoxide dismutase, and glutathione peroxidase antioxidant enzyme levels decreased in the Cd group, and the malondialdehyde levels increased. However, most of the above-mentioned Cd-induced changes were attenuated by treatment with perga in the Perga + Cd group. In conclusion, perga supplementation may alleviate Cd-induced renal injury through inhibition of apoptosis in renal tissue.