HISTOPATHOLOGICAL CHANGES IN THE STOMACH MUCOSA OF RATS FED WITH GREAT SCALLOP (Pecten maximus)

Abstract

Heavy metals, industrial and household wastes and pesticides are threats for the aquatic ecosystem. Polluted water sources are streaming into the seas and cause pollution in these systems. Dardanelles is exposed to pollution from the Marmara and Black Sea. Our previous studies demonstrated that the water and mollusc from certain regions of the Dardanelles contained heavy metal salts. The purpose of the study is to demonstrate the histopathologic changes in the gastric tissues of rats which are fed with great scallop (Pecten maximus) that are collected from the Çardak region of the Dardanelles. Four groups of rats are included in the study, group 1 (n=6), control group fed with standard rat food, group 2 (n=6), 75%  great scallop and 25% standard rat food daily, group 3 (n=6), 75% great scallop and 25% standard rat food every two days, group 4 (n=6), 75%  great scallop and 25% standard rat food every three days. After the routine histopathologic processing all gastric tissue samples are evaluated in terms of 8-hydroxy-2' -deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) immunoreactivity with light microscopy and image analysis software. No histopathologic differences found in standard hematoxylin-eosin (H.E.) stained gastric tissue samples of the control group. Second group showed active chronic gastritis, third group showed less inflamation and chronic gastritis compared with the second group and fourth group showed less mononuclear inflammation compared to the second and third groups. In immunohistochemical staining, 8-OHdG immunoreactivity in gastric epithelial cells. 8-OHdG immunoreactivity was negative in stomach tissues in all groups.  There was no statistically significant difference between the groups that were fed every day, every other day and every three days with great scallop (p>0.05). The results of our studies showed that rats fed more with great scallops could produce gastritis in the stomach