3-Acetylpyridine Induced Changes in the Cerebellar Purkinje Cells

Intraperitoneal administration of 3-acetylpyridine (3-AP) to rodents has previously been proposed for modeling cerebellar degeneration. However, morphological descriptions of changes in the cerebellar Purkinje cells (PCs) are fragmentary. In this work, changes in PCs in rats after 3-AP intoxication were characterized using immunomorphological methods and electron microscopy. Administration of 3-AP caused severe motor disturbances associated with damage, loss, and abnormal distribution of PCs containing aldolase C and a marked decrease in the level of cytochrome oxidase in PCs and synaptophysin in the cerebellar glomeruli. At the ultrastructural level, changes in the PCs of the "dark type" were observed. These results allow us to consider administration of 3-AP as a model of spinocerebellar ataxia reproducing motor disturbances and morphological changes in the cerebellar cortex.