Vol. 7, Issue 4 (2018)

Author(s):
Nagendra Reddy M, Nagamalleswari Y, Kishore PVS and Devi Prasad V

Abstract:
The study was conducted on 36 adult male Sprague Dawley rats which were randomly assigned into three equal groups, Group II and III were exposed to 2.5ppm and 5ppm of MeHg in the form of Methyl Mercuric Chloride in drinking water ad-libitum daily for 14 and 35 days of treatment. Motor and visual areas revealed deranged cortical cell organization with shrinkage and decrease in number of neurons in both the treatment groups at 14 days post exposure and further increased at 35 days of exposure. Perineuronal space, deranged neurofibrillar network, haemorrhages in capillaries and vacuolation in neuropil were apparent in the motor area of 5ppm group at 35 days post exposure. Astrogliosis was observed in all the treated groups but more manifested in 2.5ppm group at 35 days post exposure. Increased vascularity with hypertrophy of the capillaries in visual cortex of both the treated groups and was distinctly visible in 5ppm group at 35 days exposure compared to 14 days. Ruptured endothelial basement membrane was thrown in to capillary lumen, astrocytes invaded in to some capillaries, vacuolated external and internal pyramidal cells were more evident in 2.5ppm compared to 5ppm at 35 days than at 14 days post exposure.