Abstract

The current study was designed to evaluate the protective effects of Tribulus Terrestris on kidney and lung tissues against cadmium toxicity in female mice. In this regard, 20 female albino mice were randomly assigned into three groups; the first group served as the control group, the second group was given the toxic substance (cadmium 6 mg/kg) only, and the third group was given cadmium (6 mg/kg) plus the alcoholic extract of the Tribulus terrestris fruit (200 mg/kg). The substances were administered orally by stomach tube daily for 10 days. On the last day of the study, the animals were euthanized, and their kidney and lung were sampled for histological study. The kidney tissue in mice exposed to cadmium showed cellular inflammation, necrosis, hyperplasia, and large urinary space in Bowman's capsule in comparison to the normal appearance of tissues in the mice in the other two groups. The large aggregations of lymphocytes around the bronchus and edema in the lungs exposed to cadmium were observed. The lungs of some mice exposed to cadmium and treated with Tribulus terrestris fruit indicated normal tissue appearance, while others showed large aggregations of lymphocytes between alveolar sacs and thick interalveolar septa. The Tribulus terrestris protected the kidneys against the toxicity of the cadmium while this plant had fewer protective effects against cadmium in the lung tissue. These results demonstrated that Tribulus terrestris ameliorated cadmium toxicity.