Morphometric changes in alcoholic mice of neurons of areas 6 and 17 and ependyma of the subcommissural organ

• Published in: Drug and alcohol dependence 1985-12, Vol.16 (3), p.263-272
• Main Authors: Ferres-Torres, Romualdo, Castañeyra-Perdomo, Agustin, Del Mar Pérez-Delgado, María
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aging; Alcoholism - pathology; Alcoholism and acute alcohol poisoning; Animals; Area 17; Area 6; Biological and medical sciences; Body Weight - drug effects; Development; Ependyma; Ependyma - drug effects; Ethanol; Karyometry; Male; Medical sciences; Mice; Morphometry; Motor Activity - drug effects; Motor Cortex - drug effects; Mouse; Neurons - pathology; Neurosecretory Systems - drug effects; Subcommissural organ; Subcommissural Organ - drug effects; Subcommissural Organ - pathology; Thalamic Nuclei - drug effects; Thalamic Nuclei - pathology; Toxicology; Visual Cortex - drug effects
• ISSN: 0376-8716; 1879-0046
• DOI: 10.1016/0376-8716(85)90051-1

We have performed a karyometric study of the postnatal development of the subcimmissural organ (SOC), the subjacent thalamic ependyma, and the pyramidal neurons of layer V of the motor and visual cortical areas, in alcoholic male albino mice, aged 25–100 days. Ethyl alcohol was added to the drinking water at a concentration of 20%, from birth until the-day of sacrifice. Our results show that alcoholism affects the SOC ependyma and the motor cortex, and, apparently, does not affect the ventricular thalamic ependyma and the visual cortex. We suggest a neuroendocrine mechanism to explain the SOC answer, and a functional deprivation to explain the changes in the motor cortex.