Fig. 3

Photomicrographs of sections in the cerebellar cortex stained with H&E (×400). A and B Negative and positive control groups show the three layers of the cerebellum. The outer molecular layer contains glial cells (curved arrows). The middle Purkinje cell layer has large, pyriform Purkinje neuronal cells with large central oval nuclei (arrows) and apparent cellular processes passing through the molecular layer (arrowheads). The inner granular layer shows an aggregation of small granule cells (thick arrows) separated by acidophilic areas (asterisk), representing the cerebellar glomeruli. C Acute treated group shows shrinkage of the Purkinje cell bodies with darkly stained nuclei and empty spaces surrounding them (arrowhead); others are distorted with small deeply stained nuclei (arrow). Some cells of molecular (curved arrow) and granular (thick arrow) layers appear with deeply stained nuclei. D Chronic treated group reveals marked degenerative changes in some Purkinje cells (arrow), and others are shrinkages leaving empty spaces surrounding them (arrowhead). Decreased packing of the nuclei in the granular layer is also detected. Some nuclei appear dense with irregular outlines (curved arrow). E Chronic withdrawal group shows degenerative changes in Purkinje cells (arrow), and some of them are lost, leaving empty spaces (arrowhead)