Abstract:
Purpose: Intense impulse noise can damage the neurons of the
hippocampus, cerebral cortex and hypothalamus. These pathologic
entities may be responsible for serious behavioral and mental
disorders in exposed to impulse noise survivors. Also, believed
that vitamin C has a neuroprotective effects via its' antioxidant
properties. The aim of this study was to evaluate neuroprotective
effects of vitamin C on injured hippocampal neurons.
Methods: Fourteen hybrit rabbits were exposed to 90 dB impulse
voice (which listening at various social activities) at doses
of 5×60 min/day in an equal time intervals for two months. Only
half of these animals supplemenred with vitamin C and the others
feeded with standart foods. After two months, all animals were
sacrified under general anesthesia and their brains were fixed with
% 10 formaline solution. Later, 5 ~tm hippocampal sections were
taken and stained with H&E. Physical dissector method was used
to evaluate the numbers of living and degenerated neurons in each
hippocampus. Numerical density of neurons and nuclear height
were measured. The results were analysed by statistically.
Results: The numerical density of neurons and nuclear height in
the hippocampus in vitamin C group was 15.9mm3 and 4.8nm.
In contrast, in the non-treated group had a neuronal numerical
density of 12.50mm3 and a nuclear height of 3.0nm. There was
a significant difference in both the mean density of neurons and
the mean height of nuclei between vitamin C-treated and control
groups (p < 0.05).
Conclusion: Exposure to intense impulse noise may cause
hippocampal injury and vitamin C treatment has important neuroprotective
effects on the injured neurons resulted from impulse
noise.
