Cerebellar morphological alterations in rats induced by prenatal ozone exposure

The present study analyzes the morphological aspects of the cerebellum of rats with prenatal exposure to ozone. A double blind histological and planimetric analysis was performed studying sagittal sections of the anterior cerebellar lobe at postnatal days 0, 12 and 60. Ozone exposed rats showed cerebellar necrotic signs at age 0, diminished area of the molecular layer with Purkinje cells with pale nucleoli and perinucleolar bodies at age 12, and Purkinje cells showing nuclei with unusual clumps of chromatin in the periphery at age 60. We conclude that exposure to high concentrations of ozone during gestation induces permanent cerebellar damage in rats.