Histological study and Impact Assessment of Vitamin C on the Structural Changes of Mice Livers Induced by Ethanol

Abstract

Ethanol have toxic effects on the microscopic structure of the adult mice liver and impact assessment for potential defense against these harmful effects of vitamin C. Twenty healthy female Swiss albino mice were randomly divided into four equal groups: Group A (control group): Animals were injected daily with normal saline for 4 weeks. Group B (ethanol treated group): animals were given a dosage of ethanol every day about 5g/kg b.wt for four weeks. Group C (ethanol+ vitamin C) (therapeutic group): Animals were ingested with ethanol ingestion in the same dosage as in group B one hour prior to vitamin C in a dose 12mg/Kg/b.wt for 4 weeks. Group D (ethanol+ vitamin C) (preventive group): Animals were ingested with vitamin C one hour prior to ethanol ingestion in the same dosage as in previous groups for 4 weeks. The ingestion was oral gavage using a feeding tube. By the end, the mice were killed by cervical dislocation (severing the spinal cord by applying the appropriate amount of pressure to the cervical (neck) vertebrae). After those livers removed, fixed in formalin 10% and processed for inspection under a microscope. The ethanol-treated group exhibited the highest total histological changes, reflecting severe hepatic injury characterized by steatosis, hepatocyte degeneration, necrosis, and inflammatory infiltration, while the preventive vitamin C group showed lower histopathological changes, indicating preservation of hepatic architecture with minimal fatty change and inflammation. Otherwise, the therapeutic group demonstrated intermediate scores, reflecting partial recovery of liver tissue with reduced but still detectable degeneration and inflammation. In conclusion alcohol abuse causes the severity of liver tissue damage and oxidative stress markers, The histological structure of the liver was preventively enhanced by the administration of vitamin C.