Chronic ethanol ingestion produces cholinergic hypofunction in rat brain

• Published in: Alcohol (Fayetteville, N.Y.) N.Y.), 1997, Vol.14 (1), p.93-98
• Main Authors: Floyd, E.A., Young-Seigler, A.C., Ford, B.D., Reasor, J.D., Moore, E.L., Townsel, J.G., Rucker, H.K.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Alcohol Drinking - physiopathology; Alcoholism and acute alcohol poisoning; Animals; Basal forebrain; Biological and medical sciences; Brain - drug effects; Brain - enzymology; Brain Chemistry - drug effects; Choline - metabolism; Choline O-Acetyltransferase - metabolism; Cholinergic; Depression, Chemical; Ethanol; Frontal Lobe - drug effects; Frontal Lobe - enzymology; Male; Medical sciences; Nucleus basalis of Meynert; Parasympathetic Nervous System - drug effects; Parasympathetic Nervous System - enzymology; Parietal Lobe - drug effects; Parietal Lobe - enzymology; Rats; Rats, Wistar; Substantia Innominata - drug effects; Substantia Innominata - enzymology; Synaptosomes - drug effects; Synaptosomes - metabolism; Toxicology; Weight Gain - drug effects
• ISSN: 0741-8329; 1873-6823
• DOI: 10.1016/S0741-8329(97)86147-2

Alterations in cholinergic function due to prolonged ethanol exposure (up to 9 months) were assessed by choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) activity and high-affinity choline uptake (HAChU) in three brain regions of the Long-Evans rat: frontal cortex, parietal cortex, and region of the nucleus basalis of Meynert (NbM). No statistically significant changes were found in ChAT activity in the 3-month group; however, ChAT activity was decreased in both the frontal cortex (−32%) and NbM region (−22%) after 6 months of ethanol exposure. ChAT activity in the parietal cortex was increased 30% after 6 months. Nine months of exposure significantly decreased ChAT activity in all three brain regions. No significant differences were observed in high-affinity choline uptake after 3 months of ethanol exposure. However, after 6 months of ethanol exposure HA-ChU was decreased to 51% of control values in the frontal cortex. There was a simultaneous increase in HAChU to 43% and 178% of control values in the NbM and parietal cortex, respectively. However, choline uptake was significantly decreased in the frontal cortex and NbM region after 9 months of exposure. The results indicate a neurotoxic effect of prolonged intake of ethanol on the basal forebrain cholinergic projection system, which may cause impairment of cholinergic innervation of target areas of the basal nucleus complex.