الفهرس 
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Abstract
Aluminum and mercury are known neurotoxins; it’s involved in the pathophysiology of neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s dementia and Parkinson’s disease. Aluminum used for purification purposes of water and Food additives. Also, it used in antiperspirants and food utensils such as pans, pots, kettles and trays making them a potential threat. While mercuric chloride used in skin lightening creams, medicinal products, preservative for the development of photographic film and enter in 1% alum solution which used for treatment of bladder hemorrhage. So, we conducted this study to evaluate the toxic effects of aluminum chloride and mercuric chloride.
Thirty-six rabbits were randomly assigned to three paired groups for 3 months.The first groups (control groups) assigned as 6 females and 6 males were injected subcutaneously (S/C) with 2 ml of physiological saline for 5days. The second groups (AL-treated groups) assigned as 6 females and 6 males were injected subcutaneously (S/C) with 2.5 mg/kg B.W. aluminum chloride hexahydrate for 5 days. The third groups (Mercuric-treated groups) assigned as 6 females and 6 males were injected subcutaneously (S/C) with 3mg/kg B.W. mercuric chloride for 3days.
Half numbers of the rabbits from each group were sacrificed after the 6th week and the remaining rabbits were sacrificed at the 12th week from the beginning of the experiment. After necropsy, tissue specimens were immediately collected from brain, heart, liver, kidney, testes and ovaries to describe the pathological changes
Clinically, No signs were observed in the control rabbits and the aluminum treated rabbits while the mercuric treated rabbits showed a reduction in the food intake from the second week and some rabbits showed restlessness and hyperexcitation with marked alopecia. Moreover, some rabbits in mercuric treated rabbits had multiple abscesses at the site of injections especially in male rabbits.
Internally, there was myocardial enlargement in males at the 12th week. The liver of female rabbits was diffusely pale and had multiple tiny yellowish necrotic foci at the 6th week. The male rabbits at the 12th week had multiple tiny yellowish necrotic foci in liver and distension of abdominal cavity with ascitic fluid beside marked distention of the gall bladder with bile. While the kidneys of female and male rabbits were pale and slightly enlarged at the 6th and 12th weeks.
Biochemical analysis:
The present study showed non-significant decrease of serum ALP levels in aluminum and mercuric treated female rabbits all over the experimental period in comparison to control. While aluminum and mercuric treated male rabbits showed a significant decrease in serum ALP level at the 6th week of experiment and a non-significant decrease at the 12th week.
Also, in our study the aluminum and mercuric treated female rabbits showed non-significant increase in serum urea and creatinine levels all over the experimental period. Furthermore, the aluminum treated male rabbits at the 6th week showed a significant decrease in urea level.
Moreover, the serum level of MDA and activity of reduced glutathione showed non-significant changes in both aluminum and mercuric treated rabbits of both sexes.
Serum biochemical assays performed on the 6th and the 12th weeks revealed a significant decrease in serum testosterone level. Serum biochemical assays performed at the 6th week of the experiment showed a non-significant increase in serum estrogen level. However, at the 12th week of the experiment showed a non-significant decrease in serum estrogen level as compared to control.
Histopathologic observations
The brain revealed variable degrees of neuronal degeneration and necrosis with perivascular infiltration of inflammatory cells and congestion of blood vessels in different brain regions in both aluminum and mercuric treated both sexes of rabbits.
The heart in Al and mercuric treated both sexes rabbits revealed congestion of blood vessels, myocardial degeneration and necrosis during the experimental period.
The hepatic lesions were dilatation and congestion of the central vein with the widening of sinusoids with subsequent atrophy of hepatic cords. Moreover, the multifocal areas of necrosis with moderate periportal infiltration of inflammatory cells, congestion of portal veins and fibrous connective were observed in aluminum and mercuric treated rabbits.
The renal lesions showed necrosis of renal tubular epithelium with interstitial infiltration of inflammatory cells in aluminum treated group. In addition, there was hyaline cast inside the renal tubules especially in mercuric treated group.
Regarding histopathologic examination of the testes revealed alterations of testicular architecture with interstitial edema with marked degeneration of seminiferous tubules with reduction or absence of spermatogenesis in aluminum and mercuric treated rabbits.
Indeed, the histopathologic changes of ovaries in aluminum treated rabbits showed no alteration at the 6th weeks but at the 12th week revealed marked interstitial fibroplasia and inflammatory cells infiltration. Also, mercuric treated rabbits showed no abnormalities at the 6th weeks while at the 12th weeks had marked interstitial congestion of blood vessels.