Fig. 5

Histological evaluation. Photomicrographs of brain sections showing the cerebral cortex of control rats (a, b, c) stained with hematoxylin and eosin (a) illustrating neuronal populations within the cortex are normally heterogeneous mixtures of many granular cells. Immuno-stained sections showed normal positive expression of Bcl2 in almost all apparent neurons (b), remarkably without apoptotic cells. Normal levels of expression of GFAP (c) immunostaining. Cisplatin-treated rats (d, e, f) showed neuronal degenerative changes particularly karyopyknosis and shrunken necrotic ghost like neurons. Bcl2 (e) immuno-stained sections showed negative Bcl2 indicating apoptotic cells. A strong positive GFAP (f) reaction and hypertrophic astrocytes indicating severe astrogliosis. Shell extract treated groups (100 mg/kg, g, h, i, and 50 mg/kg, j, k, l) showed intact homogenous neuropil with normal granular neurons and minimal reactive neuroglial cells infiltrates. Immuno-stained sections showed few apoptotic cells (high Bcl2 positive reaction), and mild astrogliosis. Spine extracts group 100 mg/kg (m, n, o) showed mild vacuolization of neuropil with pyknotic satellite cells and loss of normal pyramidal or fusiform shape of the neuron. Immuno-stained sections showed low positive reaction in most apparent neurons, more apoptotic cells and reactive astrogliosis evidenced. The 50 mg/kg spine treated group (p, q, r) showed normal pyramidal cells. Immuno-stained sections showed few apoptotic (Bcl2 positive) cells with normally distributed GFAP stained astrocytes