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Amelioration of cerebellar dysfunction in rats following postnatal ethanol exposure using low-intensity pulsed
Hiva Mohammadi Bolbanabad1, Enayat Anvari2, Mohammad Jafar Rezai3
1Department of Anatomy, Ilam University of Medical Science, Ilam, Iran.
Insights
Low-intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS) can protect neonatal rat cerebellum from ethanol toxicity. LIPUS treatment improved granular cell numbers and layer thickness, mitigating developmental disruptions.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Biology
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Neonatal rat cerebellum development parallels third-trimester human fetal development, involving crucial cell proliferation and migration.
- Ethanol exposure during this sensitive period disrupts neurogenesis, neuronal migration, and neurotransmitter synthesis, leading to neuronal depletion.
- Postnatal cerebellar neurons are particularly vulnerable to ethanol's detrimental effects.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effects of low-intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS) on cerebellar cell numbers and layer thickness in neonatal rats.
- To determine if LIPUS can mitigate the neurotoxic effects of ethanol exposure during early cerebellar development.
Main Methods:
- Neonatal rats were exposed to ethanol (20%) or saline (control) for three days.
- Intervention groups received low-intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS) at 3 or 5MHz frequencies post-ethanol administration.
- Cerebellar sections were analyzed for cell counts and layer thickness using digital microscopy and software.
Main Results:
- Ethanol exposure significantly decreased granular cell numbers and external granular layer thickness.
- LIPUS treatment, particularly at 5MHz, partially reversed ethanol-induced reductions in internal granular layer cells.
- Both 3 and 5MHz LIPUS alone enhanced granular cells in the molecular layer.
Conclusions:
- Low-intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS) influences cerebellar cell numbers and layer thickness in neonatal rats.
- LIPUS demonstrates potential in attenuating ethanol's toxic effects on the developing cerebellum.
Background:
The neonatal development stage of the cerebellum in rats is equivalent to a human foetus in the third trimester of pregnancy. In this stage, cell proliferation, migration, differentiation, and synaptogenesis occur. Clinical and experimental findings have shown that ethanol exposure during brain development causes a variety of disruptions to the brain, including neurogenesis depression, delayed neuronal migration, changes in neurotransmitter synthesis, and neuronal depletion.During postnatal cerebellar development, neurons are more vulnerable to the destructive effects of ethanol. The effects of low-intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS) on the number of cells and thickness of the cell layers within the cerebellar cortex were examined during the first two postnatal weeks in rats following postnatal ethanol exposure.
Method:
Postpartum rats were distributed randomly into six groups. Normal saline was injected intraperitoneally into control animals and ethanol (20%) was injected into the intervention groups for three consecutive days. Intervention groups received LIPUS at different frequencies (3 or 5MHz), after administration of ethanol. After transcardial perfusion, the rat's brain was removed, and a complete series of sagittal cerebellum sections were obtained by systematic random manner. Photomicrographs were made with Motic digital cameras and analysed using Nikon digital software.
Results:
The numbers of granular cells decreased in ethanol-treated rats compared to the control group. LIPUS, administered at (3 or 5MHz), combined with ethanol administration resulted in a reduction of ethanol's effects. Using 5MHz LIPUS resulted in significantly higher numbers of granular cells in the internal layer compared to the control rats. Using 3 or 5MHz LIPUS alone resulted in a significant enhancement in the granular cells of the molecular layer. A significant reduction was seen in the thickness of the external granular layer in ethanol-treated rats.
Conclusion:
This study showed that exposure to LIPUS can affect the number of granular cells and thickness of the cell layer within the cerebellar cortex in neonatal rats. LIPUS also could attenuate ethanol toxicity effects on the cerebellum.
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