Kola nut from Cola nitida vent. Schott administered to pregnant rats induces histological alterations in pups’ cerebellum

Abstract

Kola nut (from Cola nitida) is popular in Nigeria and West Africa and is commonly consumed by pregnant women during the first trimester to alleviate morning sickness and dizziness. There is, however, a dearth of information on its effects on the developing brain. This study, therefore, investigated the potential effects of kola nut on the structure of the developing neonatal and juvenile cerebellum in the rat. Pregnant Wistar rats were administered water (as control) or crude (aqueous) kola nut extract at 400, 600, and 800 mg/kg body weight orally, from pregnancy to day 21 after birth. On postnatal days 1, 7, 14, 21 and 28, the pups were weighed, anaesthetised, sacrificed and perfused with neutral buffered formalin. Their brains were dissected out, weighed and the cerebellum preserved in 10% buffered formalin. Paraffin sections of the cerebellum were stained with haematoxylin and eosin for cerebellar cytoarchitecture, cresyl violet stain for Purkinje cell count, Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein (GFAP) immunohistochemistry (IHC) for estimation of gliosis, and B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) IHC for apoptosis induction. The kola nut-treated rats exhibited initial reduction in body and brain weights, persistent external granular layer, increased molecular layer thickness, and loss of Bergmann glia. Their Purkinje cells showed reduction in density, loss of dendrites and multiple layering, and their white matter showed neurodegeneration (spongiosis) and GFAP and Bcl-2 over-expression, with evidence of reactive astrogliosis. This study, therefore, demonstrates that kola nut, administered repeatedly at certain doses to pregnant dams, could disrupt normal postnatal cerebellar development in their pups. The findings suggest potential deleterious effects of excessive kola nut consumption on human brain and thus warrant further studies to understand the wider implications for human brain development.

Dynamic changes in the hippocampal memory index and biochemical indices in Sprague Dawley rats exposed to intrauterine kola nut

“…Interestingly, in our previous study on kola nut extract obtained from Cola nitida vent. Schott, we reported that the administration of the extract to pregnant rats induced significant impairment of motor activity and histomorphological alterations in the pups' cerebellums (Atiba et al, 2021). However, in the present study, we evaluated the post-natal motor/reflex behavior in pups following intrauterine/gestational exposure to treatment with kola nut (Cola nitida) extract.…”

“…Different factors have been implicated in causing adverse effects on the ability to learn and reproduce what was learned after a given time, that is, the consolidation of what was learned. Some of these factors stem from teratogens that cause body toxicity, especially in the highly sensitive brain (Atiba et al, 2021), implicating a shift or alteration in the biochemical, structural, and behavioral indices of the brain.…”

“…The nut has been shown to possess antioxidant, apoptotic, anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, anti-diabetic, and cardioprotective effects amongst others (Tachie-Obeng and Brown, 2004). Studies on the toxicological properties and effects of kola nuts have been reported (Ikegwuonu et al, 1981;Burdock et al, 2009;Atiba et al, 2021) and implicated in organ toxicity (Nneli et al, 2007;Umoren et al, 2011;Emmanuel et al, 2016).…”

Prevalence and Consumption Pattern of Kolanut Among Pregnant Women in Ibadan Metropolis

“…A signi cant number of studies that have reported higher risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes such as miscarriages (14-18), among pregnant women consuming high levels of caffeine-containing substances in pregnancy. Caffeine can cross the placenta into the amniotic uid and the fetus, resulting in adverse pregnancy outcomes (19), such as small for gestational age birth (20), and a delay in neuronal migration and gliosis (21), caused by kolanut. An understanding of patterns of kolanut use and associated factors as provided from our ndings will support the design of interventions that could target pregnant women with kolanut use in pregnancy in Nigeria.…”

Neurocognitive domains and neuropathological changes in experimental infection with Trypanosoma brucei brucei in Wistar rats

“…Their myelinated axons terminate on neurons of the cerebellar nuclei trees, are flattened and oriented perpendicular to the parallel fiber. Cerebellar Purkinje cells (PCs) play a crucial role in motor functions and their progressive degeneration as typified by increased pyknotic nuclei in infected rat is closely associated with apoptosis ( Atiba et al., 2021 ) and motor impairments ( Kim et al., 2009 ). The degeneration of Purkinje cells within the cerebellar cortex may contribute to the loss of motor co-ordination of infected animals in the behavioral tests.…”