Abstract

The stereological analysis of the inferior olivary nucleus was performed on 25 human fetal brains aged from 8th to 31st gestation week (GW) and on the brain of a newborn. The fetal brains were obtained on hysterectomy due to myoma uteri or after spontaneous abortion because of cervical incompetency.

The brains were fixed in 10% formalin solution, embedded in celloidin and paraffin and cut in frontal plane in 6, 15 and 30 μm and stained with cresyl violet. The stage of maturation of the nerve cells was established on the basis of the degree of basophilia, metachromatic characteristic of the nucleoli and colouring of the cytoplasm and the occurrence of the Nissl bodies. In all of the investigated stages the diameter of the nerve cell nuclei was determined by the eye-piece graticule. Stereological analysis was performed by using Weibel‘s M 42 test system. The results obtained indicate that the nerve cells of the second stage of maturation were observable up to the 16.5th GW, and the cells of the third stage from 17.5th to 22nd week GW. Parallely with cells of the third stages of maturation in the 22nd GW the cells of the fourth stage were conspicuous until birth. The volume of the nerve cell nuclei was increasing until birth. A rise in average volumes was statistically significant (p<0.001). The value of the numerical density of the nerve cell nuclei was decreasing in the course of development. The decrease of the numerical density of the nerve cell nuclei was statistically significant up to the 16.5th GW. Between the 16.5th and 19.5th GW the decrease of the numerical density of the nerve cell nuclei was statistically insignificant since 19.5th GW until the birth the decrease of the numerical density of the nerve cell nuclei was, again statistically significant (p<0.001).

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