Adult brain nitrergic activity after concomitant prenatal exposure to ethanol and methyl mercury

• Published in: Acta histochemica 2010-11, Vol.112 (6), p.583-591
• Main Authors: Maia, Cristiane do Socorro Ferraz, Ferreira, Vânia Maria Moraes, Kahwage, Rafael Lima, do Amaral, Michelle Nunes, Serra, Raphael Borges, Noro dos Santos, Setsuko, do Nascimento, José Luiz Martins, Rodrigues, Lorena Gonçalves, Trévia, Nonata, Diniz, Cristovam Wanderley Picanço
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adults; Analysis of variance; Animals; Brain; Brain - drug effects; Brain - metabolism; Brain development; Cerebellum; Cornus; Densitometers; Ethanol; Ethanol - administration & dosage; Ethanol - toxicity; Ethyl alcohol; Female; Immunohistochemistry; Male; Mercury; Methyl mercury; Methylmercury Compounds - administration & dosage; Methylmercury Compounds - toxicity; NADPH Dehydrogenase - metabolism; Nitrergic activity; Nitric Oxide - metabolism; Pregnancy; Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; Rat; Rats; Rats, Wistar
• ISSN: 0065-1281; 1618-0372
• DOI: 10.1016/j.acthis.2009.06.004

Pregnant rats were exposed to ethanol (EtOH) and/or methyl mercury (MeHg) during fetal brain development. Nitrergic activity was quantified by densitometric measurement of formazan deposits in the hippocampus, cerebellum and striatum of two-month-old offspring following histochemical assay for NADPH-diaphorase (NADPH-d) activity. Compared to control subjects, an increase in nitrergic activity was found in the molecular layer of dentate gyrus and in the lacunosum molecular and stratum radiatum of CA1 ( cornus amoni 1) in the EtOH+MeHg group, whereas a single administration of EtOH increased the activity in all striatal segments. The cerebellum seems to be less sensitive at this time-point to intoxication, and presented an increase only at the molecular layer of EtOH-exposed animals when compared to the MeHg and EtOH+MeHg groups (ANOVA, one-way followed by Tukey's test, p