| Budget Amount *help |
¥1,800,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,800,000)
Fiscal Year 1997: ¥900,000 (Direct Cost: ¥900,000)
Fiscal Year 1996: ¥900,000 (Direct Cost: ¥900,000)
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| Research Abstract |
We examined changes of the dentate gyrus of the rat hippocampus following 1 or 3 month toluene exposure, using glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) immunocytochemistry, and electron microscopy.
In 1 month toluene-treated rats, the number and intensity of of GFAP-immunoreactive (IR) processes were markedly increased, and thick GFAP-IR processes appeared, entering into the granular cell layr. However, no apparent degenerative features were observed. In 3 months toluene-treated rats, some of granular cells showed degenerative features such as swelling of perikarya, the decrease of cell organelles and infusion of adjacent cytoplasmic membrane.
These results suggest that the neurotoxic effects of toluene and the protective function of astrocytes are balanced at least for 1 month, but the balance is broken up and results in neurodamages for 3 months exposure.
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