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Assessment of changes in the liver of pregnant female rats and their fetuses following monosodium glutamate administration

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Abstract

Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is a common flavor enhancer and stabilizer for ready-made or packaged foods. This research investigated the impact of MSG on the maternal and fetal liver. The present study was carried out on sixteen mature female Albino rats and eight male rats of reproductive age. The control group was dissected on day 20 of gestation. MSG group was administrated MSG daily at a dosage of 1 g/5 mL/kg body weight from day 0 to day 20 of gestation. The liver function and lipid profile of the control and treated mothers were investigated in the blood sera. The levels of nitric oxide (NO), tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and reduced glutathione (GSH) activities in the liver homogenate of maternal and fetal tissue were assayed, in addition to histopathological, histochemical and immunohistochemical studies were done to the liver tissue. The activities of liver functions and lipid profile significantly altered in the treated mothers with MSG. MSG significantly reduced the SOD and reduced GSH activities in addition to the elevated TNF-α and NO in liver tissue of pregnant mothers and their fetuses. Severe histopathological alterations were observed in both maternal and fetal liver tissues of MSG-treated groups. Moreover, histochemical observations showed a reduction of total polysaccharides in the liver of pregnant rats and fetuses. A significant increase in the percentage area of positive immunoreaction for caspase 3 was observed in the liver of treated rats with MSG compared to the liver of the control. The liver of fetuses treated with MSG revealed an alteration like their mother. This study showed that during the gestational period MSG exposure resulted in several biochemical, histological, and histochemical changes in the maternal and fetal liver tissues which emphasize the toxic effect of MSG.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Zoology Department, Faculty of Sciences, Suez Canal University, Ismailia, Egypt

    Heba N. Gad EL-Hak

  2. Department of Physiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Suez Canal University, Ismailia, 41522, Egypt

    Heba M. A. Abdelrazek

  3. Department of Home and Economics, Nutrition and Food Science Branch, Faculty of Education, Suez Canal University, Ismailia, Egypt

    Dalia W. Zeidan

  4. Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, Suez University, Ismailia, Egypt

    Amani A. Almallah

  5. Zoology Department, Faculty of Sciences, Suez University, Ismailia, Egypt

    Howayda E. Khaled

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  1. Heba N. Gad EL-Hak
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  2. Heba M. A. Abdelrazek
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  3. Dalia W. Zeidan
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  4. Amani A. Almallah
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  5. Howayda E. Khaled
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Contributions

All authors contributed to the study conception and design. Material preparation, data collection, and analysis were performed by Heba N. Gad EL-Hak, Heba M. A. Abdelrazek, Dalia W. Zeidan, Amani A. Almallah, and Howayda E. Khaled. The first draft of the manuscript was written by Heba N. Gad EL-Hak and Heba M. A. Abdelrazek and all authors commented on previous versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript. All authors have agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Heba N. Gad EL-Hak .

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This study was carried out and approved with the Committee for Ethics of Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Suez Canal University, Ismailia, Egypt, and all efforts were made to minimize animal suffering during the handling.

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Gad EL-Hak , H.N., Abdelrazek , H.M.A., Zeidan , D.W. et al. Assessment of changes in the liver of pregnant female rats and their fetuses following monosodium glutamate administration. Environ Sci Pollut Res 28, 44432–44441 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-021-13557-7

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