Effects of Ritalin administration on the brain ́s histological alterations in the mouse model

Since Methylphenidate or Ritalin is used as a treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Also there is not a comprehensive study in the literature about its side effects on the nerve system structure; in the present survey the effect of methylphenidate on the brain tissue was studied. In this study a total of 16 female mice with primary weight of 32-38 g were randomly divided into four groups including one control and three experimental groups. In experimental groups Ritalin was used in the doses of 0.5, 5 or 50 mg/kg by gavages method for 21 days. At the end of the period and after animal's euthanasia; the brain specimens were removed and structural alterations were studied using a light microscope. There is congestion in the brain vessels, decrease in the perikarion size and increase in the heterochromatin levels in the nerve cells of treated animals with Ritalin at 50 mg/kg/BW when compared with the control group. It could be concluded that treatment of Ritalin maybe induces structural disorders in the brain tissue and its prescribing must be reconsidered.