A Morphometric Study of the Inferior 0livary Nucleus in Rats Treated Prenatally with Diclofenac Sodium

Authors: Adnan KORKMAZ, Süleyman KAPLAN, Nusret ÇİFTÇİ, Sait BİLGİÇ, Murat Çetin RAĞBETLİ

Abstract: Prostaglandin synthetase inhibitors have been shown to cause central nervous system damage in the developing fetus. This study was designed to investigate the effects of inhibition of prostaglandin synthesis on the neuronal density in the developing inferior olivary nucleus in postnatal life. The prostaglandin synthetase inhibitor, diclofenac sodium, was given intramuscularly (1 mg/kg) to pregnant rats for the period of gestational days 5-19. Controls received phsiological saline alone in the same period. 0n postnatal day 28 offspring were fixed by perfusing 10% buffered-formalin. Paraffin sections of the brainstem were stained with luxol fast blue+neutral red. The cell density in three main subnuclei (the dorsal accessory olive, the principal olive, and the medial accessory, olive) of the inferior olivary nucleus was estimated and the data obtained was compared using the Mann-Whitney U test. The cell density in all three subnuclei in the diclofenac treated group was significantly lower than that of the controls. This result suggests that inhibition of protaglandin synthesis during prenatal life interferes with development of the inferior olivary nucleus and may cause olivocerebellar disorders in postnatal life.

Keywords: Nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs, Pregnancy, Inferior olivary nucleus, Rats.