Long-term alcohol consumption reduces the number of neuronal nuclear pores. A morphometric study undertaken in CA3 hippocampal pyramids of rats.
A close relationship between the number of nuclear pores and the cellular protein synthesis activity is known to exist. Previous biochemical investigations lead to admit that the widespread neuronal alcohol-induced degenerative changes could depend on a decrease in the neuronal protein synthesis. The morphometric analysis made on the nuclear pore complexes of CA3 hippocampal pyramids of long-term alcohol-fed rats fully supports this attractive hypothesis, since it has been found a marked reduction in the number of pores per unit surface area of nuclear membrane, together with a reduction in their total number per nucleus.
Andrade
J P
JP
Department of Anatomy, Oporto School of Medicine, Portugal.
Cadete-Leite
A
A
Paula-Barbosa
M M
MM
Volk
B
B
Tavares
M A
MA
D000437:Alcoholism / Q000473:pathology*; D000818:Animals; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D008297:Male; D009685:Nuclear Envelope / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains