Histomorphometric studies on the effect of cyanide consumption of the developing cerebellum of wistar rat (Rattus Novergicus).

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the microscopic effect of maternal cyanide consumption on the developing cerebellum of Wistar rats.

MATERIALS AND

METHODS

Twenty pregnant female rats weighing between 160 g and 180 g were used in this study. The rats were separated into two groups comprising ten control and ten experimental animals. The control animals were fed a standard diet of mice cubes, while the experimental animals were fed 500 ppm potassium cyanide, mixed with the standard diet. The diets were fed to the animals and their litters in separate cages and water provided ad libitum during pre and postnatal life. After birth, the offspring (five per group) of days 1,9,14,21,28 and 50 were weighed and killed by cervical dislocation. The cerebellar tissues were processed and microscopic parameters studied.

RESULTS

A thicker external granular layer (EGL) was seen in the control group on day 1(39+/-9.2microm) compared with the experimental group (29+/-5.8microm) and on day 9(83+/-7.1microm) compared with the experimental group (78+/-13microm). However, these were not significantly different statistically. A thicker and persistent EGL was observed in the experimental group on days 14 and 21. A significant (P<0.05) reduction in the thickness of molecular layer (ML) was observed on days 28 and 50 in the experimental group. The density and size of the Purkinje cells were the same in both the control and experimental groups (P>0.05).

CONCLUSION

Maternal consumption of 500 ppm cyanide in rats does not significantly affect light microscopic prenatal cerebellar development, but causes mild changes in the post-natal life. Maternal cyanide consumption causes delayed maturation of the cerebellum, as evidenced by the thicker EGL, and reduction in the ML in the experimental group which become noticeable only at about 28th day of postnatal life.