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The Toxicity and the Ultrastructural Modifications Induced by Indium in the Brain and in the Placenta Tissues of Pregnant Rat

Marwa Mhamdi, Nedra Badri, Adrian Florea, Horea Matei, Tekaia Walid-Habib, Samira Maghraoui and Leila Tekaya

Indium is a chemical element (with symbol In), being the 61st element in abundance in the earth's crust with a proportion of 0.24 ppm per unit of weight. It has several physicochemical properties that allow it to be used in different fields such as: medicine and industry, which places the human being in direct and indirect contact with this metal. In can be source of some toxicity, noting that its toxicity depends on the absorption route and the compounds studied, embryotoxic or embryologic and teratogenic effects with different compounds (Pilliére, 2003). The aim of this work was to determine the impact of indium in the brain and placenta tissues of a pregnant rats using transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The ultrastructural study of brain tissue (neuron, glial cells) and placenta (maternal and fetal face) of treated rats with indium sulfate showed the presence of dense electron deposits in the lysosomes, altered mitochondria and dilated endoplasmic reticulum, on the other hand, no deposit in the control tissue. It is concluded that indium is a toxic element that can cause some intracellular damages.