Morphological Alterations of Central Nervous System (CNS) Myelin in Vanadium (V)‐Exposed Adult Rats

Abstract

In the present work we show morphological data of the in vivo susceptibility of CNS myelin to sodium metavanadate [V(+5)] in adult rats. The possible role of vanadium in behavioral alterations and in brain lipid peroxidation was also investigated. Animals were injected intraperitoneally (i.p.) with 3 mg/kg body weight (bw) of sodium metavanadate [1.25 V/kg bw/day] for 5 consecutive days. Open field and rotarod tests were performed the day after the last dose had been administered and then animals were sacrificed by different methods for histological and lipid peroxidation studies. The present results show that intraperitoneal administration of V(+5) to adult rats resulted in changes in locomotor activity, specific myelin stainings and lipid peroxidation in some brain areas. They support the notion that CNS myelin could be a preferential target of V(+5)‐mediated lipid peroxidation in adult rats. The mechanisms underlying this action could affect the myelin sheath leading to behavioral perturbations.

Key Words: :

• Vanadium
• Myelin
• Lipid peroxidation
• Behavior
• Neurotoxicity

Acknowledgments

The authors wish to thank the Professors A. M. Evangelista de Duffard and Ricardo Duffard for giving us the opportunity to perform the animal and biochemical studies in their laboratory (LATOEX). We also thank M. Culasso, M. Robson and S. Spirandelli for their assistance in the correction of this paper.