Aluminium related changes in brain histology: protection by calcium and nifedipine
Basu, S.; Das Gupta, R.; Chaudhuri, A.N.
Indian Journal of Experimental Biology 38(9): 948-950
2000
ISSN/ISBN: 0019-5189 PMID: 12561958 Document Number: 512923
Aluminium (Al; 50 mg AlCl3/kg body wt/day) treatment caused a marked change in histological picture of normal brain as indicated by an increased number of vacuolated spaces. These changes returned to normal partially by simultaneous treatment with nifedipine (0.7 mg/kg body wt/day) and completely by similar treatment with 50 ppm calcium (CaCl2; 12.5 mg/kg body wt./day). Neither nifedipine nor calcium treatment alone altered the normal histological condition. The histological changes could not be correlated with the decrease in calcineurin activities in brain as nifedipine decreases calcineurin activity without any histological changes. Hence the histological changes may be considered as specific for Al and not due to a general decrease in calcineurin activity.