title: Stress changes the spatial arrangement of neurons and glial cells of medial prefrontal cortex and sertraline and curcumin prevent it.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The present study explored the three-dimensional spatial arrangements of the neurons and glial cells within the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) of rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  It evaluated the arrangement for differences after stress with or without treatment with curcumin and sertraline using second-order stereology. Orientator method was applied to obtain isotropic uniform random sections of mPFC. The pair correlation g(r) and cross-correlation functions were estimated by counting dipole probes superimposed on histological sections of mPFC.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean total volume of neurons and glial cells was 0.80 (0.05) and 0.40 (0.07), respectively in the control group. The corresponding values decreased by 50% in the stressed group. The curve of g(r) for the neurons and glial cells showed a wider gap between the stressed rats' mPFC. Theses indicate a negative correlation (repulsion) between the neurons and glial cells in the stressed rats. Evaluation of the cross-correlation function of the neurons and glial cells also showed a negative correlation in the stressed group. The estimated values of the global degree of order in the spatial point pattern for neurons and glial cells were 0.62 and 0.20 in control and stressed animals, respectively. Curcumin and sertraline protected the spatial arrangements of the cells after stress induction in rats. In addition, the volume of the neurons and glial cells remained unchanged after stress.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Dissociation of the neurons and glial cells can is seen at some places in the stressed rats' cortex. However, the spatial arrangement of the cells was remained unchanged in curcumin+stress and sertraline+stress rats.
authors: Histomorphometry and Stereology Research Centre, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran. ; Anatomy Department, School of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
authors: Ali
authors: A
authors: Noorafshan
authors: Anatomy Department, School of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
authors: Mohammad-Amin
authors: MA
authors: Abdollahifar
authors: Histomorphometry and Stereology Research Centre, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran. ; Anatomy Department, School of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
authors: Saied
authors: S
authors: Karbalay-Doust
keywords: Cerebral cortex; Curcumin; Sertraline; Spatial analysis; Stress disorders