Background and Aim : Antibiotics, despite their beneficial effects in preventing the growth of pathogenic bacteria, affect behavioral and memory processes by affecting the amygdala and hippocampus. Recently, researchers found a significant reduction in mature neurons, neural progenitor cells, and neurogenesis in the hippocampus of mice after a course of antibiotic treatment. On the other hand, the use of antibiotics leads to an increase in oxidative stress. The brain is very vulnerable to oxidative stress and the interference of organophosphates with the body's antioxidant system can cause neuropathy and memory impairment. Based on this, the effect of antibiotic azithromycin on hippocampal cells and oxidative stress level in male Wistar rats was investigated in this study. Methods : In this experimental study, adult male Wistar rats weighing 220 to 250 grams were divided into control and antibiotic groups. In the control group, normal saline (0.6 ml) and in the treatment group with antibiotic azithromycin (15 mg per rat with a volume of 0.6 ml) were gavage daily for 7 days. After the treatment period, the healthy cells were counted in the hippocampal regions of Corneumonis and compared in the experimental groups. Oxidative stress was evaluated by measuring lipid peroxidation (MDA), antioxidant power of whole blood serum (FRAP) and catalase enzyme level (CAT). Results : Counting the number of healthy neurons in the tissue sections of the group treated with the antibiotic azithromycin in the CA1, CA2 and CA3 regions of the hippocampus showed a significant decrease compared to the control group (p<0.001). In this study, in the antibiotic treatment group, the amount of malondialdehyde in the blood serum significantly increased (p<0.01), the antioxidant power of the whole blood serum (p<0.001) and The amount of catalase enzyme (p<0.01) decreased significantly compared to the control group. 194 Conclusion : According to the present results, it seems that the antibiotic azithromycin leads to a decrease in the number of healthy cells in the hippocampus by causing oxidative stress, and this way it can have a destructive effect on memory and learning.
