Lead acetate is a chemical compound. Sources of human exposure to this metal include many foods, drinking water and dust. The aim of this study was to determine the immunohistochemical and histopathological changes on the face skin after lead acetate application. Wistar Albino rats (180-200 g body weight) were divided into a controlled and lead acetate-exposed group. Rats received lead acetate at 500 ppm in their drinking water for 60 days. Both groups were fed with the same standard food, but lead acetate was added to the drinking water. During the experimental period, blood samples were drawn from the abdominal aorta of the anesthetised animals. At the end of exposure, body weight and blood lead levels were measured. Sections of rat facial skin were examined histopathological and immunohistochemical. In the group treated with lead acetate, minimal to slight multifocal hydropic degeneration of basal cell layer, depending on the thinning of the epidermis, the cellular degeneration in the dermis and a increase in the number of necrotic cells was observed in sebaceous glands of the hair follicle hemorrhage. The immunohistochemical results of the present work demonstrated an increase in Proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) immunoreactivity in skin specimens from lead acetate treated animals. Vimentin immunoreactivity was very dense in hair follicle of the subepidermal region. It was also strongly stained around the myoepithelial cells surrounding sebaceous and stromal cells.

KEY WORDS: Lead acetate; Skin; Proliferating cell nuclear antigen; Vimentin.

SULA, B.; DEVECI, E.; ÖZEVREN, H.; EKINCI, C. & ELBEY, B. Immunohistochemical and histopathological changes in the skin of rats after administration of lead acetate. Int. J. Morphol., 34(3):918-922, 2016.