Fig. 4
A photomicrograph of H&E stained sections in the left hippocampus of different studied groups. a–c Control: a CA1 b CA3: PL (straight line); small, closely packed cells in (a) and loose, larger cells in (b). c SL of DG showing GL, closely packed rounded cells of 4–6 rows (straight line). Neurons with rounded vesicular nuclei & scanty basophilic cytoplasm (arrows). Note glial cells in ML, OL, DML, and DOL with small, rounded condensed nuclei (arrow heads), neuropil (black stars), and blood vessels (B). SGZ; narrow layer between hilus and GL; formed of small dark cells variable in size and shape (right angle arrows). d–f Group II & g–i group III: PL in CA1 (d, g), CA3 (e, h) and GL of DG (f, i): showing slight reduction in thickness (straight line) in group II and more apparent reduction in group III. Shrunken irregular pyramidal and granular cells with deeply eosinophilic cytoplasm and dark pyknotic nuclei (curved arrows), and pericellular haloes (dashed arrow). Notice areas devoid of neurons (square area), numerous glial cells (arrow heads) in ML, OL, DML, and DOL, blood vessels (B), clumping of neuronal processes (double arrows), and apparently reduced cells of SGZ (right angle arrow). j–l Group IV: PL in CA1 (j), CA3 (k) and GL of DG (i): exhibiting apparent increase in thickness (straight line) versus group II. Apparently normal neurons (arrows). Few shrunken neurons with eosinophilic cytoplasm and dark pyknotic nuclei (curved arrows). Note glial cells (arrow heads) in [ML, OL, DOL, and DML], blood capillaries (B), neuronal and glial cell processes (black star), and evident SGZ cells (right angle arrows). [H&E, X400]. m Histogram showing mean values of pyramidal layer thickness in CA1&CA3 and granular layer thickness in DG in all groups. n Mean number of damaged neurons in CA1&CA3 and granular layer in DG in all groups: significant versus group I (*), group II (#) & group III ($)[significant difference at P < 0.05]