The Role of Aspartame sweetner in Instant Beverages in Inducing Gross Malformations and Histpathological Lesions in White Mice Liver Mus musculs and Their Embryos

Abstract

The present study was made to investigate the role of high doses of aspartame used as sweeteners of instant beverages (Tropicana Slim) for inducing gross malformations and histopathological lesions in the liver of white mice and their embryos, furthermore malformations in the embryos of these mice. For this purpose (25) pregnant mice were used which were divided into five equal groups (one control and four experimental groups). Aspartame was given to the mice as single daily dose in a concentration of (0,1500, 2500, 3500, 5000) mg/Kg of body weight (b. w.). At the concentration 1500 mg/Kg, there were closure of left eye and death of some of the pregnant mice. In the dose 3500 (b.w.), abortion was seen in 20% of the pregnant mice as well as vaginal bleeding at the 10th day of pregnancy. The liver of pregnant mice was pale, greenish with the appearance of fatty substance appeared. Microscopically, there were dilatation of the sinusoids, degenerative and necrotic change of hepatocyts, fibrin deposition, apoptosis, Kupffer cell hypertrophy, and malformations occurred at rate of 84% and the main congenital detects induced curved and hyperatrophied embryos, hypertrophy of the brain, rounded head with bird peak-like appearance, and a groove separate the small head from body, meningomsclocele, spina bifida, chortening and curvature of the extremities, tail that looks like question mark. The histological lesions in the liver of the embryos were similar to these seen in the liver of their mothers