Studying of chronic multiple sequential stress effects on microscopic structure of cerebellar cortex in male rat

Stress increasing which is a consequence of technological development can complicate the function of body organs and tissues. Regarding the role of the cerebellum in harmonizing physical movements، the present study was conducted to assess the effects of chronic stress on cerebella cortex of rats. Eighteen Wistar rats were randomly divided into two equal groups. One was the control group، and the other was the stress group (the experimental group). The stress group were exposed to different types of stress such as food deprivation، water deprivation، imposed restraint in 4 degrees C temperature، forced swimming، and isolation for 10 days while the animals in the control group were kept in their cages without any interventions. After the exposure time، the animals were anesthetized and their cerebellums were removed and weighed. After preparing microscopic slides of the right lobe and staining them with Hematoxiline and Eosin، the number and the size of Purkinje cells، and the thickness of the molecular layer of cerebella cortex were determined using Image Tool software. Finally، the obtained data was statistically compared and P<0/05 was taken as the significant level. The present study showed that mean number and mean size of Purkinje cells in the stress group significantly decreased (6. 17±1. 87 and 89. 75±14. 7، respectively) compared to those (8. 43±1. 65 and 96. 68±17. 25، respectively) of the control group (P<0. 001، P<0. 004)، but the thickness of molecular layer of cerebellum in the stress group indicated no significant difference compared to the control group. The present study showed that chronic multiple sequential stresses can have negative effects by reducing the size and number of Purkinje cells in rat cerebella cortex.