Abstract
To investigate the damage of cerebellar granule cells in thiophene poisoning, spontaneously hypertensive rats were subcutaneously given thiophene for variable dose and administered period. Urine test revealed ketonuria, proteinuria, and hemoglobulinuria at the first treatment and then appeared ruffled hair, inactivity, and weight loss in the rats. Thereafter clinical signs were swing of trunk, convulsion, kangaroo-like jumping, etc. by order. At the acute stage, the cerebellar lesions displayed demarcated degeneration characteristic with edema that is composed of infarction, and were localized extensively in the rostral folia and/or focally in the caudal folia. The valley and lateral side in each folium were more severely damaged than the hill. These lesions were replaced by gliosis and/or microcyst on long survival. Dose of 0.15ml/time was optimal for the proposal induced cerebellar lesion under the continued administration for 4-6 days. It is concluded that thiophene causes vascular damage and granule cell degeneration in the rostral cerebellar cortex where is supplied by the superior cerebellar artery.
