Ameliorative Effect of Vitamin E Against Chlorpyrifos-Induced Nephrotoxicity in Adult Male Rabbits: A Histological Study

Abstract

Chlorpyrifos (CPF) is a widely used organophosphate pesticide whose long-term exposure has been linked to renal oxidative stress and structural kidney damage. This study aimed to evaluate the chronic histopathological effects of CPF on the renal cortex and medulla of adult male rabbits and to assess the ameliorative antioxidant efficacy of Vitamin E against this nephrotoxicity. Twenty adult male New Zealand rabbits (mean body weight 2.76 ± 0.19 kg) were randomly allocated into three unequal groups: a Control group (n = 6) receiving distilled water; a CPF group (n = 7) receiving chlorpyrifos orally at 33.3 mg/kg/day; and a CPF + Vitamin E group (n = 7) receiving chlorpyrifos (33.3 mg/kg/day) together with Vitamin E (100 mg/kg/day). Treatments were administered once daily by gastric tube for 12 consecutive weeks. Kidneys were then excised, fixed in 10% neutral buffered formalin, processed routinely, sectioned at 5 μm, stained with Hematoxylin and Eosin (H&E), and examined by light microscopy. Control kidneys showed normal glomerular and tubular architecture. The CPF group exhibited marked tubular epithelial degeneration, intraluminal cast formation, and interstitial inflammatory cell infiltration across both the cortex and medulla. Co-administration of Vitamin E markedly attenuated these changes, with visibly reduced inflammatory infiltration, milder tubular degeneration, and fewer intraluminal casts compared with the CPF-only group. Chronic CPF exposure induces significant histopathological nephrotoxicity in rabbits, and co-administration of Vitamin E substantially mitigates this renal damage, supporting its potential use as a protective antioxidant against organophosphate-induced kidney injury.