Background: Aflatoxins, highly toxic compounds produced by
species of Aspergillus Flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus, are
known for their hepatonephric toxicity. There are no published
randomized controlled trials evaluating the effect of aflatoxin
exposure during pregnancy. Aim of the work: The current
study aims to evaluate the effect of AFB1 on hepatorenal
structure of pregnant mice. Methods: Female mice were daily fed on fodder contaminated with 5, 10 or 20 μg AFB1 seven days before mating and during pregnancy. Liver and kidney specimens were processed for histopathological and histomorphometric investigations. Results: 5 μg AFB1 treatments resulted in hepatonecrosis, inflammatory cells infiltration, vascular congestion and interstitial edema. 10 μg AFB1 group exerted hydropic and ballooning degeneration of hepatic cells, increased nuclear chromatin content, presence of trinucleated cells, dilation of blood sinusoids and areas of necrosis. In liver, 20 μg AFB1 group revealed marked vascular congestion and binucleated cells, with variable sized nuclei anisonucleosis and interstitial edema. Liver histomorphometry analyses revealed significant alterations in the central vein, nuclear and cytoplasmic area. Kidney treated with 5 μg AFB1 showed glomerular hypertrophy, tubular necrosis, congestion and Bowmn's space increase. Kidney treated with 10 μg AFB1 exhibited necrosis, damage in corpuscles & renal cast. Examination of kidney treated with 20 μg AFB1 revealed hemorrhage, necrosis, renal cast and glomerular hypertrophy. Kidney histomorphometry analyses revealed significant alterations in Bowman’s space, glomerular and corpuscle areas. Conclusion: AFB1 exerted hepatonephrotoxic negative impact in pregnant mice fed on contaminated fodder and caused many histopathological and histomorphometric alterations including necrosis, hydropic degeneration, edema, hemorrhage, blood congestion reflecting high risk toxicity of AFB1. It is suggested that accumulation of bioactivated AFB1 metabolites severely induced hepatonephrotoxicity in pregnant mice. Further studies are recommended.