Effect of different forms of hypokinesia on the ultrastructure of limbic, extrapyramidal and neocortical areas of the rat brain: Electron microscopic study

Abstract

The effect of chronic restraint stress and chronic hypokinesia “without stress” on the ultrastructure of central and lateral nuclei of amygdala, CA1 and CA3 area of the hippocampus, cingular cortex, nucleus caudatus and motor cortex of adult male rats were elucidated. In some neurons and synapses of abovementioned regions pathological modifications were revealed. More significant alterations provokes chronic restraint stress. Alterations aremostly concentrated: first—in the nuclei of amygdala, then in the CA1 and CA3 areas. Moderate alterations were observed in cingular cortex and nucleus caudatus. In comparing with it, hypokinesia “without stress” provokes only moderate modifications: predominantly in the nucleus caudatus, in lesser degree—in the hippocampus and amygdalae.