Histomorphometric Alterations in Hepatic Tissue from Malathion-Induced Toxicity: An Experimental Animal Study

Background: Malathion, a widely used insecticide readily absorbed through skin and seriously affects different tissues and organs of the body. The main objective of this study was to compare the histomorphometric alterations resulting from hazardous effects of different doses of Malathion on hepatic tissue of male albino Wistar rats. Material and Methods: This animal experimental study was conducted at the Department of Anatomy and Postgraduate Research Laboratory at the Isra University, Hyderabad, Sindh Pakistan from February to July 2019. Thirty male albino Wistar rats between 250-300 grams weight were distributed equally into group A (control), group B (low-dose Malathion group; 27mg/kg 1/50 of LD50), and group C (high-dose Malathion group; 50mg/kg). Bodyweight of all rats was taken twice, before and after the experiment. The liver was dissected out, washed and weighed. Histopathological examination was done under the light microscope. Grading was done for severity in histopathological changes in each group. Data was analyzed using one-way ANOVA and Post-hoc Tukey test for comparison with the level of significance set at P-value ≤ .05. Results: Statistically significant (P < .05) decline in body weight was observed in groups B and C in comparison with group A. The relative weight of the liver was increased significantly (P < .05) in the experimental groups, when compared with the control group. Mild-to-moderate histopathological changes were observed in the low-dose Malathion group (Group B) while moderate-to-severe histopathological changes were demonstrated in the high-dose group (Group C). Conclusions: Malathion is a potent toxic pesticide and its exposure can exhibit damage to the hepatic tissues in a dose-dependent manner.