ABSTRACT Objectives: Acrylamide has several toxic and carcinogenic effects. The current research aimed to study the
harmful effects of acrylamide on the structure of the Purkinje cells of the cerebellum in the albino rats, in
an attempt to clarify its potential risk on the human health.
Methods: The study was performed at the Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, King Abdulaziz
University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia through the years 2008-2010. A daily dose of 50 mg/kg body weight of
acrylamide was administrated to adult male albino rats orally and intraperitoneally. Their cerebella were
obtained after two and four weeks of acrylamide administration, where serial sagittal sections were stained
with H & E, and silver stains and examined microscopically.
Results: Rats treated with acrylamide 50 mg/kg body weight for two weeks showed mild degenerative
changes in the form of diminished dendrites with less arborization of the Purkinje cells, while rats treated
with the same dose/or four wee