Lifelong ethanol consumption enhances the age-related changes in rat sympathetic neurons.
The effects of aging and chronic ethanol administration on the histochemical and morphometric features of rat superior cervical ganglion were studied in a rat strain selected for voluntary alcohol consumption. Ethanol was administered to the experimental group ad libitum (10% v/v in drinking water) from 3 months to 28 months of age, the average ethanol intake being 6.4-5.4 g/kg per day. The sympathetic neurons of the ethanol consuming rats showed several signs of enhanced degeneration, e.g. decreased neuronal packing density, increased amount of age-pigment and decreased intensity of catecholamine histofluorescence and tyrosine hydroxylase immunoreactivity. The results may indicate a selective vulnerability of peripheral sympathetic neurons rather than a universal accelerated aging due to chronic ethanol exposure.
Department of Public Health, University of Tampere, Finland.
P
P
Jaatinen
K
K
Kiianmaa
A
A
Hervonen
D000375:Aging / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D000818:Animals; D002395:Catecholamines / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D009410:Nerve Degeneration; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D010860:Pigments, Biological / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D013564:Sympathetic Nervous System / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D014446:Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase / Q000378:metabolism
D002395:Catecholamines; D010860:Pigments, Biological; D014446:Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase