Prenatal morphine exposure reduces pyramidal neurons in CA1, CA2 and CA3 subfields of mice hippocampus

Objective(s):This study was carried out to evaluate the effect of maternal morphine exposure during gestational and lactation period on pyramidal neurons of hippocampus in 18 and 32 day mice offspring. Materials and Methods: Thirty female mice were randomly allocated into cases and controls. In case group, animals received morphinesulfate 10 mg/kg.body weight intraperitoneally during 7 days before mating, gestational period (GD 0-21), 18 and 32 days after delivery in the experimental groups. The control animals received an equivalent volume of normal saline. Cerebrum of six offsprings in each group was removed and stained with cresyl violet and a monoclonal antibody NeuN for immunohistochemical detection of surviving pyramidal neurons. Quantitative computer-assisted morphometric study was done on hippocampus. Results: The number of pyramidal neurons in CA1, CA2 and CA3 in treated groups was significantly reduced in postnatal day 18 and 32 (P18, P32) compared to control groups (P