Effect of Cadmium Chloride on the Histoarchitecture of Liver and Kidney of a freshwater Catfish, Clarias Batrachus

The present study was conducted to investigate the effects of cadmium chloride induced histological alterations in the liver and kidney of a freshwater catfish, Clarias batrachus. The fishes were exposed to 4 ppm (4% of 96 h LCso) and 8 ppm (8% of 96 h LCso) of cadmium chloride for 60 days. The most common changes in liver of fishes at both doses of cadmium chloride were loosening of hepatic tissue, vacuolated cell cytoplasm, enucleation and eccentric nuclei. In the kidney of fishes exposed cadmium chloride were characterized by loosening of haemopoietic tissue, uriniferous tubules have lost their original appearance, vacuolated cytoplasm, degeneration in the epithelial cells of renal tubule, narrowing of the tubular lumen and damaged glomeruli. Exposure to sublethal concentrations of Cadmium chloride caused dose and duration-dependent histopathological alterations in the liver and kidney of Clarias batrachus. The lesions in these vital organs might have resulted in physiologic and metabolic dysregulations. In the long-run, therefore, cadmium chloride exposures to even sublethal concentrations may pose serious threat to fish health and affect their population.