Effect of Bacopa monniera on amygdaloid neurons Vollala VR et al. CLINICS 2011;66(4):663-671 Table 2 - Basolateral amygdaloid neuronal dendritic branching points at different concentric zones and the total number of branching points (4-week duration). Groups NC GAC BM 20 mg/kg BM 40 mg/kg BM 80 mg/kg n 8 8 8 8 8 Concentric zones, mm 0-20 1.32 ¡ 0.74 1.23 ¡ 0.68 1.27 ¡ 0.53 2.32 ¡ 0.49 2.08 ¡ 0.64 20-40 2.48 ¡ 0.57 2.36 ¡ 0.63 2.72 ¡ 0.52 4.17 ¡ 0.75*** 4.03 ¡ 0.68$$$ 40-60 1.08 ¡ 0.37 0.97 ¡ 0.32 1.17 ¡ 0.50 2.11 ¡ 0.72** 2.06 ¡ 0.45$$ 60-80 0.38 ¡ 0.25 0.42 ¡ 0.30 0.56 ¡ 0.35 1.07 ¡ 0.53* 1.03 ¡ 0.46$ 80-100 0.15 ¡ 0.10 0.12 ¡ 0.11 0.21 ¡ 0.13 0.26 ¡ 0.22 0.23 ¡ 0.18 BM, Bacopa monniera; GAC, gum acacia control; NC, normal control. Note: Each value represents mean ¡ standard deviation. NC vs. BM 40 mg/kg: * P,0.05, ** P,0.01, *** P,0.001; NC vs. BM 80 mg/kg: $ P,0.05, $$ P,0.01, $$$ P,0.001. branching points of basolateral amygdaloid neurons in rats that were treated with higher doses of BM for longer durations in the present study suggested that these doses of BM were sufficient to induce structural changes in these neurons. Naturally, these changes could have profound effects on behavior because of the additional dendrites on Total number of branching points 5.43 ¡ 1.67 5.12 ¡ 1.54 6.08 ¡ 1.32 10.03 ¡ 1.58*** 9.46 ¡ 1.28$$$ Figure 4 - Photomicrographs of silver-nitrate-impregnated basolateral amygdaloid neurons from control rats A) and rats treated with Bacopa monniera, BM, for 6 weeks at doses of 20 mg/kg B), 40 mg/kg C) and 80 mg/kg D). A significant increase in dendritic arborization in the BM 20-, 40- and 80-mg/kg groups is demonstrated. 668