Effects of Methyl Tert-butyl Ether (MTBE) on the Mucosal Immunity in the Small Intestine of the White Albino Mice

Some chemical compounds have a significant effect on living organisms. This is shown in the physiological and biological changes that appear on some cells and tissues of the body. The current study aimed to investigate the effect of the dissolved MTBE in drinking water on the mucosal immune cells of the small intestine of the white mice. The presence of dissolved MTBE at a concentration of 5000 ppm in drinking water has significant increase (P <0.02) of mast cells in the mucosa of mice. Similarly, at a concentration of 2500 ppm a significant increase (P <0.01) of goblet cells were observed in treated rats compared with untreated rats. The Experiment has also shown that the effect of MTBE in drinking water included the weights of animals in general, where the weight gain was weak in the treated rats compared to those where the drinking water was free of the compound. Another observation of the effects of MTBE in drinking water was the increase of the weights of some internal organs (e.g. liver, kidneys and heart) in the treated animals, as well as effects on the behavior of these animals with an obvious fatigue was observed on treated individuals. The chronic exposure of intestinal tissues to MTBE may led to inflammatory effects and /or tissue damages, and as a response the mucosal innate immunity, particularly the numbers of mast, Paneth and goblet cells were increased in synergistic fashion to play their protective role in lessen the damages caused by MTBE.