Ultrastructural aspects concerning the hypothalamus-pituitary complex reactivity following chronic administration of Aspartame in juvenile rats

Authors: Constantin PUICĂ¹*, Constantin CRĂCIUN², Mircea RUSU¹, Mihai CRISTESCU³, Maria BORSA¹, Ioana ROMAN¹

Affiliation: ¹ Biological Research Institute, Cluj-Napoca; ² Babes-Bolyai University, Electron Microscopy Center, Cluj-Napoca; ³ University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca

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ABSTRACT. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of chronic ingestion for a period of 30 days, of Aspartame (ASP) on neuronal and pituitairies ultrastructure in juvenile rats. The neuronal ultrastructure of hypothalamic ventraly-medialy area (VMH), CA1 hippocampic area and of anterior pituitary GH, LH-FSH cells have been investigated by electron microscopy. Administration of 2 mg/kg b.w. of ASP induced some alteration of all neuronal ultrastructure in lesioned regions of hippocampus and hypothalamus. Degenerative aspects of all cellular constituents which are typical features for apoptosis were observed. GH cells in A1 group are polymorphic in regards to the shape and structure of both the nuclei and cellular organelles. There are many intense vacuolisations in the cytoplasm, both of the endoplasmic reticulum and the mitochondria. The pituitary LH-FSH cells seemed to have an altered structure, and they have few secretion granules.

Keywords: ultrastructural, hypothalamus, pituitary, complex, Aspartame, juvenile rats, rabbits