Effect of apricot seeds on renal structure of rabbits

Amygdalin is the major cyanogenic glycoside present in apricot seeds and is degraded to cyanide by chewing or grinding. The animal data available did not provide a suitable basis for acute human health hazard. The apricot seeds are potentially useful in human nutrition and for treatment of several diseases especially cancer. The present study demonstrates the potential effect of short-term oral application of apricot seeds on renal structure of rabbit as a biological model. Meat line P91 Californian rabbits from the experimental farm of the Animal Production Research Centre Nitra (Slovak Republic) were used in the experiments. The animals were randomly divided into the three groups (C-control, P1, P2 - experimental groups) leading to 8 rabbits in each group. The control group received no apricot seeds while the experimental groups P1 and P2 received a daily dose 60 and 300 mg.kg-1 b.w. of crushed apricot seeds mixed with feed during 28 days, respectively. After 28 days all animals were slaughtered and kidney tissue was processed by standard histopathological techniques. Tissue sections were observed under an optical microscope with camera Olympus CX41 (Olympus, Japan) at a magnification of 10 x 0.40. The basic morphometric criteria of the preparations were quantified using image program MeasurIT (Olympus, Japan). From each sample (n = 24) three histological sections with five different fields of view in each section were analysed and followed parameters were analysed: diameter of renal corpuscles (RC), diameter of glomeruli (G), diameter of tubules (T) and the height of epithelial tubules (E). In our study, we observed a slight increase in the most frequent occurrence parenchyma dystrophy experimental animals. These changes were more pronounced in the experimental group (P2) rabbits received a daily dose of 300 mg.kg-1 of body weight of apricot seeds. Most often, we have found enlarged glomeruli filling the entire space of the capsule, and also glomerular basement membrane thickening. The most frequent alterations of tubular organs manifested by thickening and dilatation of proximal tubules and in the lumen of the occurrence fuchsinophilic mass, grains and hyaline cylinders. The occurrence of the vacuole and parenchymal atrophy was mostly balanced groups. Changes in P2 group are also reflected in morphometric evaluation structures. We have found significant decrease (p <0.001) in the average of all renal structures (diameter of renal corpuscles, diameter of glomeruli, diameter of tubules, and the height of epithelial tubules). Inversely, oral administration a daily dose of 60 mg.kg-1 of body weight of apricot seeds had no significant impact on these parameters. The change displays only the increase of renal tubule diameter. Our data may provide more specific evidence of oral application of apricot seeds on renal structure but further detailed studies are also required.