Anderson D M, Ashby P, Busuttil A, Kempson S A, Lawson M E
Toxicol Lett. 1984 Apr;21(1):83-9. doi: 10.1016/0378-4274(84)90227-3.
Transmission electron microscopy has been used to examine the ultrastructure of rat hearts and livers after diet supplementation with (a) 0, 0.5, 1.5, 2.5 and 3.5% (w/w) gum tragacanth (GT) for 91 days, (b) 0 and 1% GT for 5 days (c) 0, 1, 4 and 8% (w/w) gum arabic (GA) for 28 days. The preparation and scrutiny of the electron micrographs was undertaken by two independent teams of specialists. There were no detectable abnormalities in any of the organelles in the heart and liver specimens from any of the test animals and no inclusions nor other pathological changes were observed. All micrographs showed normal, healthy tissues; particular attention was given to the mitochondria in hepatocytes as they serve as sensitive indicators of the health and state of activity of cells. In addition, the data obtained from assays of the microsomal protein and cytochrome P-450 content of the livers showed that GA and GT did not cause inductive effects. These results do not support earlier suggestions, based on in vitro assays, that GA and GT cause changes in the function of rat heart and liver mitochondria and liver microsomes; however, they confirm a report by Zbinden that the ingestion of GT does not produce abnormalities in the cardiac function of rats.
透射电子显微镜已被用于检查在饮食中补充以下物质91天后大鼠心脏和肝脏的超微结构：(a) 0%、0.5%、1.5%、2.5%和3.5%（w/w）的刺梧桐树胶（GT）；(b) 0%和1%的GT，持续5天；(c) 0%、1%、4%和8%（w/w）的阿拉伯树胶（GA），持续28天。电子显微镜照片的制备和检查由两个独立的专家团队进行。在任何受试动物的心脏和肝脏标本中，任何细胞器均未检测到异常，也未观察到包涵体或其他病理变化。所有显微照片均显示组织正常、健康；特别关注了肝细胞中的线粒体，因为它们是细胞健康和活性状态的敏感指标。此外，从肝脏微粒体蛋白和细胞色素P-450含量测定获得的数据表明，GA和GT不会产生诱导作用。这些结果不支持基于体外试验的早期观点，即GA和GT会导致大鼠心脏和肝脏线粒体以及肝脏微粒体功能发生变化；然而，它们证实了兹宾登的一份报告，即摄入GT不会在大鼠心脏功能中产生异常。
