Abstract
Background : The wide exposure to fluoride makes studies of its effects on different organs very
important Many of the biological effects of fluoride have been extensively studied but the brain injury
produced by this substance has received less attention. The aim of this work : was to study the
histological, ultrastructural changes that might occur in the cerebellar cortex in the male albino rat
after oral intake of sodium fluoride. Materials and Methods : 24 male litters were divided into two
equal groups : control and fluoride treated group . In control group :Some litters were received 5m1
distilled water /kg of body weight by gastric tube daily from day of birth up to 30 days. Other litters
were received the same dose of distilled water from day of birth up to 60 days . In fluoride treated
group : Some litters were received 50 mg of sodium fluoride /kg of body weight by gastric tube daily
from day of birth up to 30 days. Other litters were received the same dose of sodium fluoride from day
of birth up to 60 days. At the end of the experiment ,the cerebella of control and treated rats were
extracted and prepared for light and electron microscopical examinations. Results :The results of this
study showed that the cerebellum of sodium fluoride :Mated animals exhibited degenerative changes
especially in Purkinje cell layer , while the molecular and granular layers were less affected. Some
Purkinje cells showed degenerative changes in the form of loss of their pyriform shape , pyknotic or
karyolitic nuclei ,vacuolated cytoplasm, reduction of Nissel's granules and ill defined nerve processes
. Other Purkinje cells were shrunken and surrounded by perineural spaces . Ultrastructurally ,
increased the nuclear membrane irregularity, dilated rough endoplasmic reticulum and vacuolated
mitochondria of Purkinje cells were observed. The myelinated axons were vacuolated with destruction
of some mitochondria and irregularity of myelin sheath The fluoride treated rats for 60 days showed
the same changes occurring in male rats aged 30 days ,in addition to : In some sections, the Purkinje
cells arranged in multiple layers rather than a single layer and extravasations of RBCs in the
interstitial spaces in between the granular cells were observed. Conclusion : Administration of sodium
fluoride produced histopathological and ultrastructural changes in the cerebellar cortex of male albino
rats. |
