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The Histological Effects of Marijuana in the Kidney of Male Wistar Rats

Okekpa U.O., Edebiri O.E., Oyakhire M.O., Okoronkwo C.A., Omende K., Orunta E.D., Okike P.I.

Abstract


Marijuana, derived from the Cannabis sativa plant, has garnered increased attention in recent years due to its widespread use for recreational and medicinal purposes. Given the widespread use and potential misuse of marijuana, as well as the ongoing research into its harmful effects, particularly concerning kidney injuries, there is a notable lack of scientific literature on how cannabis affects kidney histology. As a result, the histological effects of marijuana in the kidney of male wistar  rats was carried out in this study. A total of twenty (20) adult male wistar rats were used for this study. The animals were randomly assigned into four (4) groups with five rats in each group. Group A was tagged as control, while B, C, and D were labelled as test groups. Group A received feed and water alone; Group B was given marijuana for 7 days; Group C was given marijuana for 14 days; Group D was given marijuana for 21 days. At the end of the study all animals were sacrificed using cervical dislocation and kidneys excised and fixed in 10% buffered formalin for further histological studies. The results obtained from the study showed that test groups B-D showed various visual histopathological and morphological features relative to the control groups, with group B, C and D showing pigmentations, fibrosis and necrosis respectively. It can therefore be concluded based on the result obtained from this study that exposure to marijuana could result to the development of kidney injuries characterised by fibrosis and necrosis of the kidney tissues.


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