Histoarchitectural Study of the Cerebrum and Cerebellum of Juvenile African Giant Rat (Cricetomys gambianus Waterhouse) and Wistar Rats (Rattus novergicus) Brain
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Date
2015-03
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Publisher
The Official Journal Of The Anatomical Society Of Nigeria
Abstract
African giant rats are used in some part of the world for the detection of landmines and tuberculosis from human sputum. However, in some parts of the world they are consumed as a source of protein. This study was designed to look into the histo-morphometry of the cerebrum and cerebellum in comparison with the Albino wistar rats that are mostly used as laboratory experimental animals. Eight African giant rats were captured from the wild comprising of four males and four females while the wistar rats were purchased from a local breeder at Ilorin, Kwara state. The animals were cardiacly perfused and their brains were removed for morphometric assessments and histological analysis. Result shows that the cerebral and cerebellar cortices are similar in the two animals. The cerebellar cortex has three layers (molecular, purkinje and granular) and a central core of white matter but were few differences in the population of the cells. The cerebral cortex of the two animals also has the six cell layers and the hippocampus area but there are more pyramidal cells in the hippocampal area of the African giant rat than that of the Wistar rats. In conclusion the properties of the cerebral and cerebellar cortex accounts for the behavioural pattern of the animals.
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Keywords
African giant rat, Wistar rat. Cerebrum, Cerebellum, Histoarchitectural