الفهرس 
EpilepsyOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
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Abstract
Introduction: the period of major growth and development of the brain occurs in the second half of pregnancy and the first year of life, so the development of the cerebral hemisphere and cerebellum can be affected by teratogenic drugs. Pregnant women suffering from epilepsy must receive antiepileptic drugs to control seizures, tegretol and trileptal are the commonly used antiepileptic drugs in pregnant women, cerebellum is mainly the target organ of these drugs. Aim of the work: the present study aimed to compare between the possible effects of carbamazepine(tegretol) and oxcarbazepine(trileptal) on the postnatal development of the cerebellum in albino rats. Experimental Design Thirty-six adult female albino rat and eighteen adult male albino rats weighing between 150 and 200 gm were used. Two females were kept with one male in a separate cage to allow mating. Vaginal smears were obtained from female rats for detection of pregnancy. Pregnant rats were divided into three groups each one consisted of twelve pregnant rats. group I (Control Group) Each pregnant rat received 3 ml distilled water by gastric tube during the whole period of pregnancy. group II (Carbamazepine treated group) Each pregnant rat received maximal therapeutic dose of tegretol (0.03 mg /gm body weight) by gastric tube during the whole period of pregnancy group III (Oxcarbazepine treated group) Each pregnant rat received maximal therapeutic dose of trileptal (0.03 mg /gm body weight) by gastric tube during the whole period of pregnancy The cerebella of the off springs of the three groups were extracted at the following postnatal ages one-day, four days, one-week, ten-days, two-weeks, three-weeks and one-month, the specimens were subjected to histological and immune histochemical examination using Hematoxylin and Eosin and GFAP immune stain respectively. Morphometric studies were done for measuring the mean thickness of external granular layer (EGL) and counting the mean number of GFAP positive astrocytes, all data were collected and analyzed statistically. The results 1-Hematoxylin and Eosin stain The control group: the external granular layer (EGL) increased gradually in thickness from the first postnatal day to reach its maximal thickness at the age of one week, then decreased gradually and disappeared at the age of three-weeks postnatal. The Purkinje cells in the rats aged one and four days postnatal were arranged in several rows, intermixed with the cells of the outer zone of the internal granular layer (IGL), then in the rats aged one week and older ages they were arranged in one regular row between the molecular layer (ML) and the internal granular layer (IGL), they were regular in size and shape (fusiform or oval in shape). The molecular layer (ML) and the internal granular layer (IGL) increased gradually in thickness and became more differentiated with increase in the ages of the rats. Tegretol treated group: the external granular layer (EGL)increased gradually in thickness from the first postnatal day to reach its maximal thickness at tenth postnatal day, then decreased gradually, and was still present at the age of one month. The Purkinje cells in the tegretol treated rats aged one week and older ages were arranged in one row between the molecular layer (ML) and the internal granular layer (IGL), but they were irregular in shape, (shrunken with pyknotic nuclei) surrounded by vacuolations. There were areas of sever hemorrhage on the outer surface of the cerebellum, and extended around and in between the folia, the hemorrhage was also seen in the white matter. Trileptal treated group: the external granular layer increased gradually in thickness from the first postnatal day to reach its maximal thickness at tenth postnatal day, then decreased gradually and disappeared completely at the age of one month. The Purkinje cells in the rats aged one week and older ages arranged in one row between the molecular layer (ML) and the internal granular layer (IGL), but some Purkinje cells appeared nearly normal, while other Purkinje cells appeared irregular in shape, shrunken with pyknotic nuclei. 2-GFAP immunohistochemical stain The control group: in the rats aged one, two, and three weeks, the GFAP immunostaining of cerebellar tissue, revealed that the GFAP positive radial glial fibers in the molecular layer appeared thin and regular, the astrocytes in the internal granular layer and white matter were star shape with thin fibers. The tegretol treated group: in the rats aged one, two, and three weeks, the GFAP positive radial glial fibers appeared thicker than control, they were interrupted and irregular run in different direction. The astrocytes in the internal granular layer and white matter showed very strong GFAP positive immune staining, the astrocytes increased in number and size, they were irregular in shape with thick dark brown fibers, a finding which indicated damaging effect of the drug on the cerebellar tissue. Morphometric counting of the mean number of GFAP stained astrocytes in the IGL and white matter was statistically highly significantly increased in comparison to the control group. The trileptal treated group: in the rats aged one, two, and three weeks, the GFAP positive radial glial fibers in the molecular layer appeared regular but the glial fibers were thicker than the control group. Morphometric counting of the mean number of GFAP stained astrocytes was highly significantly increased in comparison to the control and in tegretol group was significantly increased in comparison to the trileptal treated group. A finding which indicated that the damaging effect of trileptal is less than that of tegretol.