Histopathological lesions in lead intoxicated dogs

The ultra-structural lesions of lead poisoning and the deposition of lead in liver, kidney, peritoneum, cerebellum and retina of dogs were studied. Specimens were obtained from 5 3-4 mo-old crossbreed dogs each injected i.p. with a total dose of 120 mg lead acetate, divided in 10 equal doses of 12 mg, administered every other day. Two dogs were controls. Histopathological examination revealed degeneration of the epithelial cells of the urinary tubules, the endothelial cells of the renal capillaries and the hepatocytes. Characteristic lead inclusion bodies were observed intracytoplasmically and intranuclearly in mesothelial and giant cells of the peritoneum. Lead needle-like inclusions were intracytoplasmically in the interstitial connective tissue cells of the kidney, and substantial quantities of lead were in collagen fibers of the interstitial kidney tissue.