RESUMEN
The objective of this study was to observe the morphological changes in vermal cerebellar cortex of young male rats with special reference to Purkinje cell after exposure to chronic immobilization stress. An experimental study. Department of Anatomy CPSP Regional Centre, Islamabad, from August 2006 to July 2007. Sixty young male Sprague Dawley rats were taken and divided equally in two groups [n=30 in each]. Group A=control. Group B=experimental. 'Experimental' group was kept in restrainer for 2 hours continuously, for 14 days, one rat per restrainer separately. At the end of the experiment, all the animals of both groups A and B were anesthetized and sacrificed for the removal of cerebellum. It was fixed in 10% formalin. To record data for histological evaluation, the vermal cerebellar cortex of a specified area was selected. It was processed and 5 um-thick sections were cut. Hematoxylin and Eosin stained sections were examined under light microscope. Data was analyzed by SPSS version 10. Significant decrease in total cell count and cell size was found in experimental group as compared with controls. Number of dark cells was found more in stressed animals. Increase in thickness of vernal cerebellar cortex and molecular layer was observed in stressed animals as compared with controls. Chronic immobilization stress can affect the outcome of the cerebellar functions causing damage to the Purkinje cells as a result of cellular metabolic changes by an imbalance between the oxidant and anti oxidant status inside the brain