HIPPOCAMPAL AND STRIATAL ALTERATIONS IN ALCOHOLIC ADULT RATS

TAGLIAFERRO, PA; DUHALDE VEGA, M; EVRARD, SG; RAMOS, AJ; BRUSCO, A

San Diego, CA. USA

Congreso; Society of Neuroscience 31º Annual Meeting.; 2001

Society of Neuroscience

Ethanol exposure (EE) induce a serotonin (5-HT) brain level decrease and alters GFAP astrocytic expression. Astrocyte-neuron interactions provide strategic sites for actions of many chemical compounds. The aim of the present work was to study the alterations of glial cells and neuronal processes in two highly 5-HT innervated central nervous system (CNS) areas after a long-term EE. Adult Wistar male rats (200-250 g) were orally exposed to ethanol (6.6% v/v ad libitum) during 6 weeks. Control rats received water ad libitum. After that, rats were anaesthesized and perfused with 4% paraformaldehyde. Brain sections were immunocytochemically processed using anti-GFAP, anti-S100b protein, anti-neurofilaments of 200 kDa (NF200) and anti-serotonin transporter (5-HTT) as primary antibodies. After EE we observed in the CA1 area of hippocampus: i) an important astrogliosis evidenced by the presence of GFAP+ reactive astrocytes; ii) an increase in the astrocytes S-100b immunostaining; iii) a decreased in the Nf200 immunoreactivity and iv) only a slightly statistically significant 5-HTT immunoreactivity decrease in treated animals. These observations were quantitatively confirmed by image analysis. Our study provides further evidence that a long-term EE induces an astrocytic reaction like in other kind of brain injuries. On the other hand, in this treatment, astrocytes could play a homeostatic role and might potentially promote functional and structural recovery of CNS.