TITLE:
Acute Impact of the Artificial Sweetener Aspartame on the Ultrastructures of Hepatocyte in Mice
AUTHORS:
Norah S. Al-Johani, Ayoub A. Bazzaz
KEYWORDS:
Acute Effects, Aspartame, Cirrhosis, Hepatocytes, Mice
JOURNAL NAME:
Advances in Bioscience and Biotechnology,
Vol.10 No.6,
June
30,
2019
ABSTRACT: A non-saccharide artificial sweetener, aspartame
(L-aspartyl-L-phenylalanine methyl ester) is used worldwide as a sugar
substitute in many foods and beverages. The objective of this work was to
clarify the acute impact of various doses of daily ingestion of Aspartame at
the cellular level of the liver tissues in mice. Sixty adult male mice were
divided into five groups including control fed normal diet and tap water, while
other 4 groups (12 each) were daily fed orally with 1 mL of either 40, 500,
1000 and 1500 mg/Kg b.wt. APM dissolved in distilled water using gavages for
consecutive 5 weeks. Liver samples fixed in 10% formalin were cut as 5 μm using Leica microtome and the sections were stained with both
routine Heamatoxylene and Eosin (H & E)
as well as Transmission electron
Microscope (TEM). Histological results showed cellular changes in the hepatic
tissues which were proportional with the increased doses. The hepatocytes had
developed fatty droplets in the cytoplasm of almost all cells, loss of nuclei,
necrosis detectable at LM level. Lymphatic nodules were also generated around
the triads and the central hepatic veins as well as intracellular gaps with
higher doses. The TEM results demonstrated degradation
of mitochondria indicating the direct acute effects of the aspartame on hepatic
tissues which all were proportional with the increased doses. It is concluded
that the daily ingestion of aspartame, even at lower doses, has acute effects
and is dose dependant on hepatic cells which could exert further risks onto
other tissues of consumers on the long run.