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. 2025 Mar 12:14:101993.
doi: 10.1016/j.toxrep.2025.101993. eCollection 2025 Jun.

Detrimental effects of chronic arsenic exposure through daily diet on hepatic and renal health: An animal model study

Laila Khaleda  1 , Md Mazharul Alam  1 , Zarin Tasnim  2 , Md Muzahid Ahmed Ezaj  3 , Md Abdur Rahman Apu  4 , Rasheda Akter  5 , Md Abu Bakar  5 , Md Jibran Alam  1 , Rahee Hasan Chowdhury  1 , Amit Datta  6 , Inzamamul Ismail Shawon  1 , Md Zillur Rahman  7 , Mohammad Al-Forkan  1
Affiliations

Detrimental effects of chronic arsenic exposure through daily diet on hepatic and renal health: An animal model study

Laila Khaleda et al. Toxicol Rep. .

Abstract

Background: Bangladesh is heavily impacted by arsenic contamination; however, in-depth research regarding the consequences of arsenic exposure through contaminated food remains in its nascent stage.

Objectives: Our study aimed to examine the effects of consuming arsenic-contaminated rice and vegetables on Wistar albino rats.

Methodology: A total of 30 Wistar albino rats were divided into control and experimental groups, receiving diets containing arsenic-contaminated rice and vegetable for 120 days. Arsenic levels in food samples were quantified using FI-HG-AAS. Hematological, biochemical, and histopathological analyses were conducted to assess hepatic and renal toxicity. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS, ANOVA, DMART with significance set at p < 0.05.

Findings: In hematological studies, hemoglobin was found to be significantly reduced in exposed rats (P < 0.05) to 13.67 ± 0.54 gm/dl for rice diet and 13.77 ± 0.28 gm/dl for edible fern diet compared to control (14.17 ± 0.43 gm/dl for rice diet and 15.27 ± 0.13 gm/dl for edible fern diet), and similar results were also observed for RBC and WBC. Elevated levels of serum ALT, AST, urea and creatinine reflected hepatic and renal dysfunction. In renal and hepatic tissue histopathology, inflammation, degeneration, and fatty changes were observed. This study provides the first direct evidence of systemic toxicity from chronic dietary arsenic exposure in Bangladesh, identifying rice and vegetables as significant, underrecognized sources of arsenic-related health risks.

Conclusion: We conclude that eating rice and vegetables that have been exposed to arsenic over an extended period of time might be harmful to the body.

Keywords: Arsenic; Edible fern; Naturally contaminated; Rice grain; Tissue histopathology; Wistar albino rats.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

Figures

None
Graphical abstract
Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Level of hematological biomarkers in the experimental groups. a. Hemoglobin (HB), b. Red Blood Cell (RBC), c. Platelet and d. White Blood Cell (WBC). Data were analyzed using one-way ANOVA followed by Dunnett's Multiple Comparisons Tests and reported as mean SD (n = 5). Here, the different groups are denoted by NC - Normal control, AC - Arsenic control, CR - Control rice, TR - Test rice, CED – Control edible fern, TED – Test edible fern. When compared to the Normal Control (NC) group, values are statistically significant at *P < 0.05; * *P < 0.01; * **P < 0.001, * ** *P < 0.0001.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Level of biochemical biomarkers in the experimental groups. a. Alanine Transaminase (ALT), b. Aspartate Aminotransferase (AST), c. Alkaline Phosphatase (ALP), d. Serum Urea and e. Serum Creatinine. Data were analyzed using one-way ANOVA followed by Dunnett's Multiple Comparisons Tests and reported as mean SD (n = 5). Here, the different groups are denoted by NC - Normal control, AC - Arsenic control, CR - Control rice, TR - Test rice, CED – Control edible fern, TED – Test edible fern. When compared to the Normal Control (NC) group, values are statistically significant at *P < 0.05; * *P < 0.01; * **P < 0.001, * ** *P < 0.0001.
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Histopathological interpretation of liver tissue sections from different groups of experimental arsenic treated animals. Light microscopic image of hematoxylin and eosin-stained rat liver (microscopic resolution: 20X and 40X). Here, the different groups are denoted by NC - Normal control, AC - Arsenic control, CR - Control rice, TR - Test rice, CED – Control edible fern, TED – Test edible fern. The arrow indicates HD – Hepatocyte degeneration, IC – Inflammatory cells, S – Steatosis.
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Histopathological interpretation of liver tissue sections from different groups of experimental arsenic treated animals. Light microscopic image of hematoxylin and eosin-stained rat liver (microscopic resolution: 20X and 40X). Here, the different groups are denoted by NC - Normal control, AC - Arsenic control, CR - Control rice, TR - Test rice, CED – Control edible fern, TED – Test edible fern. The arrow indicates that CV – Cytoplasmic vacuoles, IC – Inflammatory cells, FB – Fat bodies, CD – Cellular degeneration.
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