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Ultrastructural changes in rat striatum after chronic amphetamine treatment
Acta Physiologica Et Pharmacologica Bulgarica
|January 1, 1977
Summary
Chronic dl-amphetamine treatment in rats caused significant cellular damage in the striatum, including organelle disorganization and synaptic alterations. These findings highlight the neurotoxic potential of long-term amphetamine exposure.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cell Biology
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Amphetamine is a stimulant drug with known central nervous system effects.
- Understanding the long-term cellular impact of amphetamine on brain structures is crucial for assessing its neurotoxicity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the ultrastructural changes in the rat striatum following chronic dl-amphetamine administration.
- To determine the specific cellular and subcellular alterations induced by prolonged amphetamine exposure.
Main Methods:
- Rats were treated with 5 mg/kg dl-amphetamine intraperitoneally for 90 days.
- Electron microscopy was used to examine the striatal tissue ultrastructure.
Main Results:
- Observed disorganization of cytoplasmic organelles and disappearance of dense core vesicles in nerve cells.
- Axonal terminals showed reduced electron density, mitochondrial disorganization, and synaptic vesicle aggregation.
- Pericyte cytoplasm contained electron-dense bodies and lipid vacuoles.
Conclusions:
- Chronic dl-amphetamine treatment induces significant ultrastructural damage in the rat striatum.
- The observed alterations suggest a neurotoxic effect of long-term amphetamine exposure at the cellular level.