Postnatal Development of the Rabbit Cerebellum

Elnagar, Hanaa Y.; Emara, S.; Nada, M.; Abdel-Megeid, Nazema S.

doi:10.21608/jcvr.2024.384959

Postnatal Development of the Rabbit Cerebellum

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

10.21608/jcvr.2024.384959

Abstract

The purpose of the current study was to provide an overview of the rabbit
cerebellum's postnatal developmental stages. Forty rabbit cerebella of postnatal
ages (PN1, PN 5, PN8, PN15, PN22, 1M, 2M, 3M, 4M, 5M and 6M) were obtained
from the Balady rabbits. In, PN1 the cerebellar cortex consisted of four layers: an
external granular layer (EGL), a molecular layer, a Purkinje cell layer, and an
internal granular layer. The thickness of the EGL reached its maximum, consisted
of five to six layers of oval or spherical cells. The Purkinje cell layer retained
immature. Purkinje cells had vesicular nuclei, prominent nucleoli, and an
amphiphilic cytoplasm were arranged in two or three different layers. At PN 5,
EGL decreased in thickness while Purkinje neurons were arranged in a well
developed single row. Myelination of the white matter appeared more evident.
At later postnatal ages, the EGL was decreased in thickness until disappeared,
while internal granular layer and molecular layer increased in thickness until the
anatomical characteristics of the mature cerebellum were reached from two
months onward. Cerebellum was important for motor coordination; muscle
tones and maintaining the equilibrium of the body. An extended process that
takes place during postnatal life gives the mature cerebellum its ultimate
structure.

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