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Objective:To investigate the effects of benzene on rat’s cerebellum structure and behavioral characteristics, including anxiety and motor impairment. Methods:Twenty rats were randomly allocated into two groups orally receiving distilled water and benzene (200 mg/kg/day). A total of 10 rats were used at the beginning of benzene exposure. Two rats died during benzene treatment and 8 rats remained for evaluation of the behavioral test and finally 6 rats underwent histological assessment. At the end of the 4th week, motor function and anxiety were evaluated in rotarod test and elevated plus maze, respectively. Besides, the cerebellum was dissected for structural assessment using stereological methods. Results:Performance of the benzene-treated rats in fixed and accelerating speed rotarod was impaired and their riding time (endurance) was lower compared to the control group (P=0.02). The benzene-treated rats also spent less time in the open arms and had fewer entrances to the open arms in comparison to the control group, indicating anxiety (P=0.01). The total volume of the cerebellar hemisphere, its cortex, intracerebellar nuclei, total number of the Purkinje, Bergmann, Golgi, granule, neurons and glial cells of the molecular layer, and neurons and glial cells of the intracerebellar nuclei were reduced by 34%-76%in the benzene-treated rats in comparison to the distilled water group (P=0.003). The most cell loss was seen in Bergmann glia. Conclusions:The structure of cerebellum altered after benzene treatment. In addition, motor impairment and anxiety could be seen in benzene-treated rats.
RESUMO
OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine the association between previously documented risk factors such as recurrent pyelonephritis with the incidence of renal scarring after acute pyelonephritis in children. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Children with acute pyelonephritis who were admitted to the Department of Pediatrics of a teaching hospital during 2007-2009 were enrolled in this study. DMSA scans were obtained 4-6 months after the last episode of pyelonephritis in all patients. RESULTS: A total of 80 children with acute pyelonephritis were enrolled in this study. Most of them were girls (77.5 percent), with a median age of 12 months. Nearly half of the children (n = 44; 55 percent) had one or more renal scars. The distribution of gender, CRP level and leukocytosis did not differ significantly regardingthe absence or presence of renal scars (p > 0.05). Most of the scars occurred in children who had presented with bilateral pyelonephritis (69.4 percent vs. 18.2 percent, p = 0.001). Most of the patients with renal scars had a positive history of vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) (75 percent vs.13.6 percent, p = 0.001). The significant roles of recurrent pyelonephritis and presence of VUR were further confirmed by multivariate analysis. CONCLUSIONS: According to our findings, presence of VUR and recurrent pyelonephritis are independently associated with a higher incidence of renal scarring.