Myocardial Structural Remodeling and Histological Recovery Following Acetaminophen Exposure: Comparative Effects of Rutin and Mesenchymal Stem Cells in Male Rats

• Rabha E. A. EL-Dab

  Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Omar Al-Mukhtar University, Libya

  Author

• Eda M. A. Alshailabi

  Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Omar Al-Mukhtar University, Libya.

  Author

Acetaminophen (APAP) is a commonly used analgesic and antipyretic drug, but excessive exposure can cause tissue injury and may affect organs beyond the liver. This study investigated myocardial (MYO) histopathological alterations associated with repeated APAP exposure in male albino rats and compared the protective effects of rutin (RUT) and bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs). Fifty adult male rats were randomly assigned to control and experimental groups. APAP was administered orally at 750 mg/kg b.wt., every 72 hours for 21 days. Following APAP exposure, animals were either monitored for spontaneous recovery or treated with RUT, BM-MSCs, or their combination for 30 and 60 days. Heart tissues were processed and stained with hematoxylin and eosin for histopathological examination, and the observed alterations were evaluated using semi-quantitative grading. APAP exposure resulted in progressive MYO injury, characterized by MYO degeneration, subendocardial and interstitial edema, focal hemorrhage, and inflammatory cell infiltration, with more pronounced alterations after 60 days. RUT treatment was associated with progressive improvement in MYO structure, reaching complete histological normalization after 60 days. BM-MSC treatment resulted in well-preserved MYO architecture at both examination periods, with no detectable histopathological alterations. Combined treatment also maintained relatively preserved MYO architecture; however, mild focal degeneration persisted at both time points. Overall, RUT and BM-MSCs demonstrated substantial histological protective effects against APAP-associated MYO injury, although the combined regimen did not provide an additional histological advantage over the individual treatments

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