INTRACEREBRAL GRAFTING IMPEDES HIPPOCAMPAL CELL LOSS DURING WITHDRAWAL AFTER LONG-TERM ALCOHOL-CONSUMPTION IN RATS

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 1991

Authors

PAULABARBOSA, MM (Author) Other; BRANDAO, F (Author) Other; ANDRADE, JP (Author) FMUP; MADEIRA, MD (Author) FMUP; ZIMMER, J (Author) Other; CADETELEITE, A (Author) Other

Journal

Title: Alcohol and Alcoholism

Vol. 26

Pages: 177-190

ISSN: 0735-0414

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 20 Citations

Scopus - 19 Citations

Scientific classification

FOS: Medical and Health sciences > Health sciences

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-001-R0R

Abstract (EN): We previously found that, in the hippocampal formation as well as other central nervous system regions, withdrawal from alcohol following long periods of ingestion did not impede the ethanol-induced degenerative changes, including cell loss; on the contrary, neuronal degeneration was found to be increased in withdrawn rats. By grafting withdrawn rats either with immature hippocampal blocks or with suspensions of cultured astrocytes, we hoped to arrest the process of cell loss or even reverse it, because it is known that grafted material might display trophic and eventually protective effects in conditions of brain damage. The dentate granule and hippocampal CA3 pyramidal cells were counted both in the grafted hemisphere and in the contralateral one. Grafts of astrocyte suspensions did not interfere with the ongoing process of cell death in withdrawn rats. Conversely, grafts of hippocampal tissue impeded the degeneration observed in the granule and pyramidal cells of the grafted hemisphere, although in the contralateral one the cell loss persisted. We therefore conclude that the protective effect displayed by solid grafts might be a local process dependent on the release of diffusible trophic agents. We cannot explain the absence of any effect displayed by astroglial grafts, inasmuch as in different experimental situations such an effect was described.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 14