Protective Effect of
Nigella Sativa Oil on Hippocampus in Acrylamide-Induced Toxicity in
Rats
İlknur Ündağ* and Hasan Hüseyin Dönmez
Selçuk University, Veterinary Faculty, Department of
Histology and Embryology,
Konya, Türkiye
*Corresponding author:
ilknur-undag@selcuk.edu.tr
Abstract
The aim of this study was to evaluate the
possible protective effects of Nigella
sativa oil against acylamide-induced toxicity in the hippocampus of rats.
For this purpose, Wistar rats were divided into four groups; control (C),
acrylamide (ACR), Nigella sativa (NS)
and acrylamide+Nigella sativa (ANS).
At the end of the experiment, the rats were sacrificed by cervical dislocation,
their brains were removed and their weights were measured. Samples were fixed in
10% formaldehyde, embedded in paraffin, and stained with Kluver Barrera, May-Grünwald-Giemsa,
and argyrophilic nucleolar organizer regions (AgNOR). After staining, cell
counts were performed in the cornu ammonis 1 (CA1), cornu ammonis 2 (CA2), and
cornu ammonis 3 (CA3) and dentate gyrus areas of the hippocampus and AgNOR
parameters were evaluated. In the acrylamide-administered group, rats showed a
significant decrease in body weight and brain weight (P<0.05), as well as
fatigue and gait abnormalities were observed. Besides, acrylamide caused a
significant decrease (P<0.05) in the number of neurons in the hippocampus.
Contrary to this, Nigella sativa oil
supplementation resulted in a significant increase in the number of neurons in
the hippocampus (P<0.05), and improved gait abnormalities without affecting body
weight and brain weight. It was determined that the relative AgNOR area
significantly decreased (P<0.05) in the CA1 and dentate gyrus regions in the ACR
group, and significantly increased (P<0.05) in the ANS group compared to the ACR
group. In the study, it was determined that acrylamide has a neurotoxic effect
and Nigella sativa oil can affect the
reduction of the resulting neurotoxic effect.
To Cite This Article:
Ündağ İ, Dönmez HH 2023.
Protective effect of Nigella Sativa
oil on hippocampus in acrylamide-induced toxicity in rats. Pak Vet J, 43(3): 616-622.
http://dx.doi.org/10.29261/pakvetj/2023.046