IN THE ADOLESCENT RAT, A LONG ABSTINENCE PERIOD AFTER A LOW, CHRONIC ETHANOL EXPOSURE DOES NOT RESULT IN A FULL RECOVERY OF NEURONAL MORPHOLOGY

EVRARD SG; DUHALDE-VEGA M; TAGLIAFERRO P; MIROCHNIC S; CALTANA LR; BRUSCO ALICIA

Viña del Mar, Chile

Congreso; II Neurotoxicity Society Meeting; 2005

Neurotoxicity Society

There are few morphological studies on EtOH exposure and recovery after a long abstinence. We evaluated neurons long after drinking cessation of a low EtOH dose. Adolescent male Wistar rats were exposed to EtOH 6.6% v/v in drinking water for 6 weeks and studied after ending exposure or after a 10-week recovery period drinking water. Brain sections were immunostained using antibodies to MAP-2; 200 kDa neurofilaments, neuronal nitric oxide synthase and 5-HT. We studied  by image analysis: hippocampal CA1 area, striatum and frontal cortex; the dorsal and median raphe nucleus. The relative area covered by MAP-2+ and NF-200+ fibers decreased in all the studied areas after EtOH exposure and differentially recovered after the abstinence period. Immunoreactivity of 5-HT+ and nNOS+-neurons were also altered, after EtOH exposure or after abstinence. Conclusion: to stop drinking can partially ameliorate EtOH-induced morphological changes but cannot fully restore the basal state. UBACyT M-072 grant. There are few morphological studies on EtOH exposure and recovery after a long abstinence. We evaluated neurons long after drinking cessation of a low EtOH dose. Adolescent male Wistar rats were exposed to EtOH 6.6% v/v in drinking water for 6 weeks and studied after ending exposure or after a 10-week recovery period drinking water. Brain sections were immunostained using antibodies to MAP-2; 200 kDa neurofilaments, neuronal nitric oxide synthase and 5-HT. We studied  by image analysis: hippocampal CA1 area, striatum and frontal cortex; the dorsal and median raphe nucleus. The relative area covered by MAP-2+ and NF-200+ fibers decreased in all the studied areas after EtOH exposure and differentially recovered after the abstinence period. Immunoreactivity of 5-HT+ and nNOS+-neurons were also altered, after EtOH exposure or after abstinence. Conclusion: to stop drinking can partially ameliorate EtOH-induced morphological changes but cannot fully restore the basal state. UBACyT M-072 grant. There are few morphological studies on EtOH exposure and recovery after a long abstinence. We evaluated neurons long after drinking cessation of a low EtOH dose. Adolescent male Wistar rats were exposed to EtOH 6.6% v/v in drinking water for 6 weeks and studied after ending exposure or after a 10-week recovery period drinking water. Brain sections were immunostained using antibodies to MAP-2; 200 kDa neurofilaments, neuronal nitric oxide synthase and 5-HT. We studied  by image analysis: hippocampal CA1 area, striatum and frontal cortex; the dorsal and median raphe nucleus. The relative area covered by MAP-2+ and NF-200+ fibers decreased in all the studied areas after EtOH exposure and differentially recovered after the abstinence period. Immunoreactivity of 5-HT+ and nNOS+-neurons were also altered, after EtOH exposure or after abstinence. Conclusion: to stop drinking can partially ameliorate EtOH-induced morphological changes but cannot fully restore the basal state. UBACyT M-072 grant.