Effects of Acrylamide and Vitamin C on Histological Changes and Stereological Parameters of Cerebellum in Rat Offsprings

Introduction: Acrylamide (ACR) is a substance chemical used in industrial and laboratory procedures. Acrylamide according to the method of cooking foods are increasingly used and its adverse effects on multiple organ systems have been described sporadically in the literature. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of prenatal (maternal) ACR consumption on the physical development and the changes of cerebellar volume in the rat embryo. Materials and Methods: Female pregnant Wistar rats were orally administered 10 mg/kg ACR and/or 200 mg/kg vitamin C (vit C) solution. Pregnant rats were sacrificed on the 15 th day of gestation and mother’s weight was measured. After that, their fetuses were taken out and were evaluated for fetus number and weight, crown-rump length (CRL) and cerebellar development. A total of 100 sections were cut through the entire cerebellum. From these sections, approximately 10 equidistant sections were systematic uniformly random sampled with an initial random start and stained with hematoxylin-eosin for volume estimation. The cerebellar volume was estimated by micro-projection and cavaliers’ method. Results: The results showed that ACR caused a significant reduction in mother’s weight and volume of cerebellum as well as in the number of fetus. Histological and stereological examinations revealed that the cerebellar volume was decreased in ACR and ACR+vit C groups vs control animals. Conclusion: ACR exhibits a harmful effect on the development of the brain, which may be prevented by administration of vit C.