Effects of 1-bromopropane on brain ultrastructure in male rats / 中国职业医学

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To explore the effects of sub-acute inhalation of 1-bromopropane( 1-BP) on the ultrastructure of cerebral cortex,hippocampus,cerebellum,and brainstem in male rats. METHODS: Specific pathogen free healthy male Wistar rats were randomly divided into control group and exposure group with 6 rats in each group. The rats of exposure group received 1-BP vapor at a concentration of 5 000 mg/m3. The rats in the control group were given fresh air in a dynamic inhalation chamber system for 4 weeks(6 hours/day,5 days/week). After the end of the exposure,the cerebral cortex,hippocampus,cerebellum and brainstem of rats were collected and the ultrastructural changes were observed under transmission electron microscope( TEM). RESULTS: After 3 weeks of exposure to 1-BP,the rats in the exposure group began to have unresponsiveness and decreased muscle strength in hind limbs. The body weight of exposure group was lower than that of control group from the 1 st to the 4 th week( P < 0. 05). TEM results showed destroyed structure of the myelin sheath in the region of cerebral cortex, hippocampus, cerebellum and brainstem, and irregular nucleus, vacuolar degeneration,increased lysosome of endoplasmic reticulum,mitochondrion swelling of neuron cells,karyopyknosis of astrocytes and vacuolation in the neurite of astrocytes located in the blood brain barrier( BBB). CONCLUSION: 1-BP sub-acute inhalation exposure could damage the myelin,neuron,astrocyte and BBB in male rats. The demyelination of nerve fiber and decreased permeability of BBB was particularly noticeable.