Altered dendritic maturation and loss of GABA immunoreactivity of hippocampal neurons after prenatal exposure to Chloroquine

The aim of the study was to analyze the intrauterine and postpartal effects of Chloroquine on the dendritic maturation in the hippocampus and on the e xpression of GABA within hippocampal interneurons of the stratum moleculare . Fifty-nine brains of rat fetus on day 22 of gestation and 37 brains from rats from postnatal day P7 were examined. We found changes in the cytoarchi tecture of hippocampal CA3 neurons on P7 day. Chloroquine treatment resulte d in a significant increase of the length of the apical shafts, apical dend rites and basal dendrites of the CA3 neurons (p < 0.05) under dose's compar able to serum levels reached during longterm therapy. Furthermore, an early reduction of GABA-expressing interneurons of the hippocampal striatum mole culare was observed.