ABSTRACT
The study of the effect of oral administration of aluminium chloride on the Hippocampus of wistar rats was carried out in order to ascertain whether the small daily amount of aluminium that gain access to the body produce any accumulation damage to the hippocampus and if there is any association between drinking water containing aluminium and brain damage. This investigation was carried out using 50 female adult wistar rats. The animals were divided into five groups; 10 rats per group. Stock solution of aluminium chloride was prepared (2g/l or 2mg/ml).Different concentrations of aluminium was administered to different groups orally. Group I was control, while Groups II- V were given 2.3mg/kg(0.4mg),5.7mg/kg(1mg),11.4mg/kg (2mg),and17.1mg/kg (3mg) respectively with an average weight of between 150-200g for duration of twelve (12) weeks. Blood was collected from the tails of the rats for haematological indices. The animals were sacrificed using chloroform and then the brain tissues were fixed immediately in Bouin's fluid. The hippocampus sections were processed through the routine tissue processor. The stained samples were examined by means of light microscope for histological changes. Histological examination showed clumping of cell neurons, or reduced pyramidal cells and scanty neurofibrillary tangle which was an indication of neurodegeneration in the treated groups and which may suggest or tend to link accumulation of aluminium on brain cells to incidence or aetiology of Alzheimer's disease .The haematological results showed that the differences in parked cell volume, white blood cell and neutrophils of the control and experimental groups were statistically significant at P<0.05. The increase in PCV, neutrophil and WBC observed in this study could be as a result of the destruction of the hippocampal cells due to oral administration of aluminium chloride. It was however, concluded that the oral administration of aluminum ~ xiv ~ chloride could induce brain damage which may possibly impair memory and learning as seen in Alzheimer disease.