Histomorphological Study of the Developing Cerebral Cortex of Wistar Rats Exposed to Maternal Caffeine Administration
Journal Title: IOSR Journal of Dental and Medical Sciences (IOSR-JDMS) - Year 2017, Vol 16, Issue 1
Abstract
The histomorphological effects of caffeine on the developing cerebral cortex of rats were carefully studied. Thirty adult female rats were mated and pregnant female rats were divided into three major groups, namely A, B and C. Each group had ten pregnant rats. Group A served as the control and were served distilled water. Groups B and C received 50 mg and 90 mg/kg per body weight of caffeine (Sigma-Aldrich). On the 20th day of gestation, five pregnant rats were randomly selected from each of the groups making a total of fifteen pregnant rats which were sacrificed by chloroform inhalation method. Thirty fetuses were selected and weighed. The brains of fetuses were harvested and fixed in 10 % neutral buffered formalin. The remaining fifteen pregnant rats were allowed to deliver normally on the twenty first day. Thirty pups were randomly selected and weighed. Four weeks after birth the pups were subjected to a series of neurobehavioural tests using the Morris water maze for spatial memory and learning. The day following the test, pups were weighed and sacrificed by using chloroform inhalation method. They were decapitated and the brains carefully removed and fixed in 10 % neutral buffered formalin. Sections of the cerebral cortex were processed histologically using the Haematoxylin and Eosin staining. Results revealed normal morphological appearance of cells in the cerebral cortex of fetal and young rats given distilled water while the sections of fetal and young rats exposed to maternal administration of 50 mg and 90 mg/kg body weight of caffeine showed the presence of pyknotic nuclei, hypertrophied cells and vacuolations. The findings indicated that there was no significant difference in weights and neurobehavioral assessment of animals in control group and test groups. Based on the cellular degenerative changes, and hypertrophy observed in the test group, the study suggests that caffeine may be harmful to the developing cerebral cortex.
Authors and Affiliations
Archibong V. B, Ofutet E. O, Ekanem T. B.
Keywords
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- EP ID EP589064
- DOI 10.9790/0853-160104133138
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