It is well known that phenytoin (DPH) has an adverse effect on cerebellar function. Epileptic patients receiving large doses of DPH are reported to show diffuse degeneration and loss of Purkinje cells, and atrophy and gliosis of the molecular layer in autopsied brain tissue. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of DPH on mouse Purkinje cells in infantile and adult normal mice.
Materials and Methds:
Weaning (groups A, B, C, D and H) and adult (groups E, F, G and I) mice of ddY strain were used. DPH was administered intraperitoneally in 0.5% traganth solution and control animals were given 0.5% traganth solution alone.
The DPH administration schedule was as follows:
Groups A (N=6) and B (N=6); From 20 days after birth, 5mg/kg. b. wt (A) or 10mg/kg. b. wt (B) of DPH was administered daily for 20 days.
Groups C (N=7) and D (N=5); From 10 days after birth, 10mg/kg. b. wt (C) or 50mg/kg. b. wt (D) of DPH was administered daily for 20 days.
Groups E (N=6), F (N=6) and G (N=5); 5 mg/kg. b. wt (E), 10mg/kg. b. wt (F) or 50mg/kg. b. wt (G) of DPH was administered daily for 20 days.
Group H (N=4); On 20 days after birth, 100mg/kg. b. wt of DPH was given as a single injection.
Group I (N=5); 100mg/kg. b. wt of DPH was given as a single injection.
Groups A, B, C, D, E, F and G were decapitated next day after the last injection and groups H and I were decapitated 20 days after that. After fixing the brains were weighed. The degeneration and loss of Purkinje cells were examined histologically by hematoxylin-eosin and phosphotungustic acid-hematoxylin stainings.
Results:
In the groups given a small dose (A, B, C, E and F), the weight of brain did not change but degeneration and loss of Purkinje cells were recognized in infantile mice. Infantile mice receiving a large dose, i. e. group D, showed not only weight loss of the brain, but also changes of Purkinje cells, although adult mice in group G showed only changes of Purkinje cells, the weight of the brain remaining unchanged. In the group with single injection, a loss of brain weight and changes of Purkinje cells were not recognized.
Conclusion:
It is possible to conclude that long term administration of DPH causes a prominent disturbunce of cerebellar function, especially in the infantile period
View full abstract