Abstract

Arsenite (Arsenic III) is ubiquitous and a widely distributed environmental toxin implicated in the aetiology of several neurological disorders. It is found in sea food, chemicals and pesticides. As(III) is also a mitochondria poison that induces reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation and membrane distortion. This study is aimed at proposing an in vitro method to detecting neural activity in rat’s brain treated with As(III). Neurotoxic effects of As(III) on brain slices in rat model and description of its varying cytotoxic pathways using electrophysiological approach shall constitute another focus of the study. Brain slices were sub-cultured in Artificial Cerebro Spinal Fluid (ACSF) and treated with 50 µl of 0.1 M arsenite for 30 min. A superficial pin electrode was used to record the electrical activity following each stimulation. The spike train was analyzed to obtain the frequencies in db and this was recorded for 0.00 to 0.16 ms. As(III) induced changes in the electrical activities of the brain to a varying extent and such changes vary with the cytotoxic pathways for such regions. In the parietal cortex and upper brainstem, As(III) reduced the firing rate when compared with increased neuronal firing rates in the lower brainstem as depicted by spike peaks.

Key words: Arsenic, neuron, peaks, frequency, toxicity, action potential.