THE VASOPRESSINERGIC INNERVATION OF THE LATERAL SEPTUM OF THE RAT AFTER CHRONIC ALCOHOL-CONSUMPTION AND WITHDRAWAL

• Tipo: Artigo em Revista Científica Internacional
• Data: 1994

Autores

SOUSA, N (Autor) Outra; MADEIRA, MD (Autor) FMUP; PAULABARBOSA, MM (Autor) Outra; BUIJS, R (Autor) Outra

Revista

Título: Brain Research

Vol. 648

Páginas: 53-58

ISSN: 0006-8993

Editora: Elsevier

Indexação

ISI Web of Knowledge - 5 Citações

Scopus - 5 Citações

Classificação Científica

FOS: Ciências médicas e da saúde > Medicina básica

Outras Informações

ID Authenticus: P-001-JYT

DOI: 10.1016/0006-8993(94)91904-6

Abstract (EN): We have recently reported that ethanol ingestion induces morphological changes in the vasopressinergic neurons of the supraoptic nucleus and that withdrawal from alcohol partially reverses these alterations. Since the production of vasopressin is not restricted to the magnocellular neurons of the hypothalamus, we investigated the effects of long-term ethanol intake and withdrawal on the lateral septum, an area heavily innervated by vasopressinergic fibers. Besides, as ethanol leads to a decrease of the plasma levels of testosterone, a hormone which plays a pivotal role in the development and maintenance of the vasopressinergic innervation of the lateral septum, we included groups of alcohol-fed animals submitted to testosterone replacement both in physiological and supraphysiological doses. In ethanol-treated rats there was a marked reduction in the number of vasopressin-immunoreactive fibers in the lateral septum. Following ethanol withdrawal a partial recovery in the number of vasopressin-immunoreactive fibers was observed. In both groups of ethanol + testosterone-treated animals the vasopressinergic innervation was increased when compared to the alcohol-fed group, although a complete reversal was not achieved. Therefore, two mechanisms might be regarded as underlying the impoverishment of the vasopressinergic innervation in the lateral septum after prolonged alcohol consumption: alcohol-induced cell death in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, from where these fibers arise, and/or alcohol-induced decrease in testosterone plasma levels.

Idioma: Inglês

Tipo (Avaliação Docente): Científica

Nº de páginas: 6