MICROSCOPIC ORGANIZATION OF LIVER SINUSOID CAPILLARIES AT THE END OF 6 WEEKS OF EXPERIMENTAL EXPOSURE TO CANNABIDIOL OIL

Abstract

Cannabidiol (CBD) is a non-toxic compound of medical marijuana and has gained popularity for medical use in recent years. CBD is used in the treatment of a variety of serious diseases, including epilepsy, rheumatic, neurological, leukodystrophy diseases, pain management, etc. Despite the beneficial effects of CBD, there is evidence from research that CBD may cause potentially negative health effects. The risk of CBD-induced hepatotoxicity is of great importance. The goal is to determine the qualitative and quantitative morphological characteristics of the cellular composition of the wall of the liver sinusoidal capillaries at the end of the 6th week of experimental exposure to 10 % CBD oil. The study was conducted using 20 sexually mature white non-linear male rats weighing 180–230 g, aged 5–7 months at the beginning of the experiment in compliance with the requirements of the European Convention for the Protection of Vertebrate Animals used for Experimental and other Scientific Purposes (Strasbourg, 1986), Council of Europe Directive 2010/63/EU, and Law of Ukraine No. 3447-IV “On the Protection of Animals from Cruelty to Animals”. The main group consisted of 14 rats, which were orally dripped with 10 % CBD oil (dose 10 mg/kg/day) once a day for six weeks. The control group consisted of 6 sexually mature white male rats. Liver tissue was used as the material for the study. Histological, immunohistochemical (CD31, CD68) studies and quantitative analysis of cells of the wall of the sinusoidal capillaries of the liver were performed on an area of 0.01 mm2 of the histological preparation (100 μm × 100 μm). Statistical calculations were performed in the Microsoft Office Excel program. The significance of the difference between the indicators of the study and control groups was checked using the Mann-Whitney (U) test. The difference was considered statistically significant at a minimum significance level of p < 0.05. As a result of the histological and immunohistochemical study of the sinusoidal capillaries of the liver, it was found that their structural microscopic organization did not undergo pathological changes under the conditions of experimental exposure for 6 weeks to 10 % CBD oil as a dietary supplement to the standard diet at a dose of 10 mg/kg/day. When comparing the average indicators of the cells of the sinusoidal capillary wall – endothelial cells, Kupffer cells and perisinusoidal cells on the area of the histological preparation of 0.01 mm2 in different areas of the liver lobule of the experimental series and the control group, it was found that the trend of cell distribution was preserved.The average value of Kupffer cells significantly exceeded the corresponding value in the control group (p < 0.05), and the average value of endothelial cells in the sinusoids of the intermediate zone of the lobule and near the central vein was significantly lower than in the control group (p < 0.05), which indicates moderate dilatation of the sinusoids in these areas of the liver lobule. When comparing the average values of perisinusoidal cells of the experimental and control groups, the difference according to the Mann-Whitney p(U) criterion in all areas of the liver lobule is not significant (p > 0.05). In summary, a comprehensive study of liver sinusoidal capillaries after 6 weeks of experimental CBD exposure demonstrates the safety of using a 10 % CBD oil solution at a dose of 10 mg/kg/day.