Introduction: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a primary demyelinating disease which is more common in females in the third and fourth decades of life. The cerebellum is a predilection site for lesion development in MS. Cuprizone is used as an experimental model for toxic demyelination. Growth hormone (GH) is a factor that affect the survival of myelin and the central nervous system cells.
Aim of the Work: The present study aimed to investigate the effect of cuprizone on the cerebellar cortex in an experimental trial to mimic MS and to evaluate the possible protective role of simultaneous administration of recombinant GH.
Material and Methods: Thirty adult female Albino rats were used in the study; weighing from 180- 200 gm and aged from 4 to 6 months. Rats were divided equally into three groups: Group I (Control): rats further subdivided into two subgroups: control A: rats fed with ground standard rodent chow for five weeks and control B: rats followed the same regimen as control A group, in addition to subcutaneous injection daily with 0.1 mL saline for five weeks. Group II (Cuprizone): rats were fed with ground standard rodent chow mixed with 0.2% cuprizone for five weeks. Group III (Cuprizone + GH): rats were fed with ground standard rodent chow mixed with 0.2% cuprizone for five weeks with simultaneous subcutaneous injection with low dose Somatropin (0.4 mg/kg/day).
Results: Cuprizone administration induced histological changes of rats' cerebellar cortex in the form of deeply stained Purkinje cells, apparent increase in perineural spaces with decease in anti-myelin proteolipid protein and synaptophysin immune stain and gliosis by glial fibrillary acidic protein. While simultaneous administration with recombinant GH showed minimal histological changes of the rat's cerebellar cortex.
Conclusion: Simultaneous administration of recombinant GH with cuprizone could help in ameliorating the deleterious effect of cuprizone on rats' cerebellar cortex.