Vitamin C Ameliorates the Malformed Tissue Integrity of Kidney and Liver in Swiss Albino Mice (Mus musculus) exposed to Restraint Stress and Dietary Salt

Author: Sajeeb Khan A., Manish K., Praveen Kumar, Jaya Chithra S.K. and Ayana Gayathri R.V.

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Abstract

Vitamin C, being an antioxidant, plays a crucial role in various physiological functions, and a critical regulator in cellular integrity. The effect of stressors like chronic restraining and salt-enriched diet in the kidney and liver histology and the role of Vitamin C in maintaining tissue integrity were studied in Swiss Albino mice Mus musculus. The mice were either exposed to restraint stress daily 1 hour alone or supplemented with ascorbic acid (330 mgL-1) via drinking for three weeks. Similarly, groups of mice were either fed with 4% salt-rich diet alone or supplemented with ascorbic acid (330 mgL-1) via drinking water for the same duration. Structural changes in kidney and liver were evident in mice exposed to chronic restraining and excess dietary salt. Volume expansion or necrosis of Bowman's capsule, shrunkenglomeruli, renal tissue gap formation, hyperplasia and fibrous tissue infiltration were observed in the kidney. Cellular hypertrophy, volume expansion, nuclear pyknosis and granulomatous lesions were observed in the liver tissue due to stress. Vitamin C supplementation under stressed conditions could effectively prevent these stress-induced changes by retaining the tissue integrity in mice and has thus proven its role in tissue protection during stress.

Keywords

Restraint stress, salt-rich diet, Vitamin C, Mice, kidney, liver

Conclusion

Taking all our results together, we conclude that emotional or physical stress damages cellular integrity in tissues. Stressors like chronic restraining and intake of foods with high salt levels negatively affect the integrity of tissues, as demonstrated by the histological examination results. Restraint stress had induced such structural changes in the kidney like increased thickness of Bowman's capsule, shrunken glomeruli and increased tubular diameter, whereas, in the liver, it caused a disorganised his to architecture like multiple granulomatous lesions, hyperplasia of hepatocytes with coagulative necrosis characterised by pyknoticnuclei. The hypertrophy, hyperplasia, nuclear enlargement, and gap development in the kidney and liver are indications of structural deformity driven on by the high salt diet. However, Vitamin C supplementation has countered these ill effects by either slowing down tissue damage or by maintaining the tissue integrity with reduced inflammation in mice exposed to either restraint stress or dietary salt excess. Overall, the findings of this study showed that vitamin C supplementation had significant effects in restoring the distorted his to architecture of kidney and liver in mice exposed to high dietary salt or restraining stressors. These findings indicate the protective role of vitamin C against stressors.

References

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How to cite this article

Sajeeb Khan A., Manish K., Praveen Kumar, Jaya Chithra S.K. and Ayana Gayathri R.V. (2023). Vitamin C Ameliorates the Malformed Tissue Integrity of Kidney and Liver in Swiss Albino Mice (Mus musculus) exposed to Restraint Stress and Dietary Salt. Biological Forum – An International Journal, 15(4): 951-956.