C-FOS EXPRESSION IN THIOPHENE EXPOSED RATS

Abstract

Repeated injection of thiophene induced clinical signs to grooming, trunkal ataxia, or tonic convulsion and the signs are similar to those of cerebellar degeneration by methyl mercury poisoning. The rats disclosed by PAS reaction in inferior colliculus, and disorder in auditory brainstem response. In thiophene poisoned rats have arranged an immunohistochemical (Fos immunoreactivity) and histopathological methods to evaluate the correlation between those signs and lesions.
1) Fos-like immunoreactivity (FLI) in the central nervous system was distributed the characteristic associated with trunkal ataxia and/or tonic convulsion.
2) FLI positive cells disclosed nerve cells by rim of the necrotic regions (penumbra) in the cerebellum.
3) Neuronal degeneration was scattered in the resemblance area in contralateral hemisphere of the same rat that had displayed continuous and excessive FLI positive cells.
4) Marchi stain and FLI displayed how it is dependent on the degeneration of the cerebellar nucleus, the red nucleus, and the dorsal lateral funiculus, to be related into rubrospinal tracts.
These results showed that FLI is a useful tool for check to the early phase of the lesion and transsynaptic lesion associated with clinical signs induced by a neurotoxic agent.