Abstract
This study investigated the neurohistological effect of lead acetate on cerebellar cortex of adult wistar rats. Lead is a common industrial poisonous substance that its prevalence in the environment exhibits toxic effect which makes different organs & tissues especially the central nervous system vulnerable to lead exposure. Lead is however, found useful applications in diverse items of daily needs like paints, water pipes, car batteries, leaded gasoline, ammunition, cosmetics, hair dye, airplanes, shielding for x-ray machines. Thirty-six (36) adult wistar rats of both sexes weighing between 120-250 grams were randomly grouped into four groups. Group A, B, C and D each group containing seven (9) rats. Group A rats served as the control, and was maintained on standard feed and water for 28 days, group B, C and D rats were treated orally once daily with 0.09g/kg, 0.18g/kg and 0.2g/kg of lead acetate respectively for 28 days. The weights of the wistar rats were recorded on weekly basis during the treatment. All the wistar rats in group A, B, C and D were sacrificed by cervical dislocation on the 29th day of the treatment. The brain was removed and weighed with a sensitive balance and the cerebellum of each rats was then fixed in 10% formol saline, the tissue was processed and stained with Hematoxylin and Eosin for histological study. Results showed that the mean body weights of the wistar rats significantly decreased in the treated groups when compared with the control group. The mean brain weights of the lead treated groups showed a significant decrease when compared to the control group. Histological study of the brain (cerebellar cortex) of the treated groups demonstrated degenerative changes revealed shrinkage, reduced sized and cellular loss of the Purkinje cells with vacuolations in the Purkinje cell layer compared with normal cerebellar histoarchitecture in the control. The study concluded that lead acetate has a neurotoxic effect on the cerebellar cortex of adult wistar rats which may ultimately impair some cerebellar functions.
Highlights
Lead is a heavy and non-biodegradable, low melting metal that occurs naturally in the earth's crust, noted for its toxicity and regarded as a potent occupational toxicant [1]; Children may be exposed to peeling or flaking lead-based paint or weathered powdered paint when engaging in activities that increase exposure [1]
The head and cranium were carefully removed with a surgical blade and the brain was removed, weighed before half of the cerebral cortex was cut and homogenized for assessment of oxidative stress parameters while the whole of cerebellum was quickly fixed in formal calcium for histological evaluation using Hand E staining technique
Figure C: Photomicrograph of the cerebellar cortex of group C Wistar rats that received lead acetate with a medium dose of 0.18g/kg for 28 days stained with H&E shows degenerating Purkinje cells with pyknotic cell bodies and short dendritic processes can be seen around the indistinctly demarcated cerebellar layers of group C
Summary
Lead is a heavy and non-biodegradable, low melting metal that occurs naturally in the earth's crust, noted for its toxicity and regarded as a potent occupational toxicant [1]; Children may be exposed to peeling or flaking lead-based paint or weathered powdered paint when engaging in activities that increase exposure [1]. The cerebellum is a part of the hindbrain situated in the posterior cranial fossa It is a part of the pons and medulla oblongata, separated from two structures by the cavity of fourth ventricle; it is covered by tentorium cerebelli and is connected to brain stem by three cerebellar peduncles. It consists of two laterally, large hemisphere which are united by midline vermis. The cerebellar deep nuclei are the sole output structures of the cerebellum These nuclei are encased by a highly convoluted sheet of tissue called cerebellar cortex, which contains almost all the neurons in the cerebellum. Damage to the cerebellum can lead to loos of coordination of motor movement, inability to judge distance and when to stop(dysmetria), the inability to perform rapid alternating movements(adiadochokinesia), movement tremors, staggering, wide based walking known as ataxic gait [7]
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