Cambios en el Sistema Nervioso Central de las ratas adolescentes luego de la exposición crónica a drogas de abuso

BRUSCO A; EVRARD S, TAGLIAFERRO P, CALTANA L, MIROCHNIC S, DUHALDE VEGA M, RAMOS J, LUJILDE J, ONAIVI E.

Pontificia Universiad Católica de Chile. Santiago de Chile

Workshop; Motivated behavior, stress and addiction: from molecules to behavior; 2009

Latin-American network of researchers in neurobiology of drug addiction (LARNEDA)

CHANGES IN THE CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM OF ADOLESCENT RATS AFTER A CHRONIC ETHANOL OR CANNABINOID AGONIST EXPOSURE. Brusco, A. Evrard S., Tagliaferro P., Caltana L., Mirochnic S., Duhalde Vega M., Ramos J., Lujilde J. Onaivi E. Williams P. IBCN (UBA-CONICET) Facultad de Medicina UBA, Argentina University, New Jesey, USA. hbrusco@fmed.uba.ar We have studied the morphological changes produced in neurons and astroglial cells after two chronic treatments in adolescent rats. One of them was a low alcohol exposure (in which we also analized the recover after abstinence), and the other was a daily cannabinoid agonist exposure. For the first study, two groups of rats were used. The Control group received water; another group (EtOH) received ethanol 6,6% v/v in drinking water for 6 weeks (exposure period). After the exposure period a subgroup of rats from both groups received only water for another 10 weeks (recover period). The expression of cytoskeletal and cytosolic proteins of neurons and astrocytes as well as neurotransmitters like serotonin and nitric oxide in the hyppocampus, striatum and frontal cortex were studied by immunocytochemistry. We found that both neuronal and astroglial cells showed morphological changes that could not be completely restored even after a long abstinence. In the second study, two groups of rats were used, one of them was treated for 14 days with ip injections of WIN-55,212-2 (a cannabinoid receptors agonist); the other received vehicle. This chronic treatment induced neuronal cytoskeletal changes, and ultrastructural modifications at the synaptic contacts which are in accordance with an inhibition of neurotransmitters release. The expression of two types of cannabinoid receptors was changed in the cerebellum as well.