Cerebellum as a target for toxic substances

The Purkinje cells and the granule cells are the most important targets in cerebellum for toxic substances. The Purkinje cells are among the largest n euron in the brain and are very sensitive to ischaemia, bilirubin, ethanol and diphenylhydantoin. The granule cells are small and seem to be sensitive to loss of intracellular glutathione. Granule cells are sensitive to methy l halides, thiophene, methyl mercury, 2-chloropropionic acid and trichlorfo n. The Purkinje cells appear in the rat brain on pre-natal day 14-16, where as the granule cells appear post-natally. Both cells are sensitive to excit otoxic chemicals and also to an effect on DNA or its repair mechanisms. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.