Abstract
This study was undertaken to find out the effect of persimmon leaves on histopathological changes of cadmium toxicity in mice. Seventy two BALB/c mice of male were divided into a control group(A) and five experimental groups (B, C, D, E, F) : group A received tap water and basal diet, group B received tap water and diet supplemented with 3% persimmon leaves alone, group C received basal diet and 300 ppm cadmium, group D, E and F received basal diet supplemented with 1, 3% and 7% persimmon leaves and 300 ppm cadmium respectively. Cadmium dissolved in tap water was used, and the persimmon leaves were mixed with feed. All mice were dissected on the 84th day. Pathological changes in liver, kidney, cortical osseous tissue of femoral shaft, bone trabecular of femur, and epiphyseal cartilage plate of femur were observed. Group B showed no significant changes as the control group. But group C showed the unclearness of specific cells in liver, the loss of architecture and necrosis of hepatocyte, degeneration and necrosis of renal convoluted tubules, desquamation and vacuolization of the greater part of the renal tubular epithelium, marked thinning of the cortical osseous tissue in femoral shaft, reduction of cancellous bone volume and decreaswe of trabecular number, and marked thinning of epiphyseal cartilage plate in femur. On the other hand, persimmon leaves-treated group showed a little convalescent changes an maintained their normal architectures in liver, kidney, cortical osseous tissue of femoral shaft, bone trabecular of femur, and epiphyseal cartilage plate of femur.