Quantitative study of hepatocytes from minipigs and minipig fetuses exposed to ethanol in vivo.
The effect of ethanol on hepatocytes from pregnant minipigs and their half-term fetuses was studied with the aid of morphometric methods. In the pregnant minipigs the hepatocytes of the ethanol-treated animals showed a significant increase in the volume density of mitochondria, autophagic vacuoles, Golgi complexes and smooth endoplasmic reticulum, and a significant decrease of glycogen. In the half-term fetuses the hepatocytes of ethanol-exposed animals showed no significant change in the volume density of mitochondria, peroxisomes, autophagic vacuoles, Golgi complexes, smooth endoplasmic reticulum or glycogen, and no significant change in the surface density of granular endoplasmic cisternae. The present investigation indicates that in the maternal hepatocyte certain cytoplasmic components are quantitatively changed by ethanol, whereas the volume and surface densities of identical components in the fetal hepatocyte are unaffected. The significance of these results is discussed.
Anatomy Department C, University of Copenhagen, Denmark.
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Rømert
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Matthiessen
D000818:Animals; D004721:Endoplasmic Reticulum / Q000187:drug effects / Q000648:ultrastructure; D000431:Ethanol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D005333:Fetus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D006003:Glycogen / Q000378:metabolism; D006056:Golgi Apparatus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects / Q000196:embryology / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D008431:Maternal-Fetal Exchange; D008830:Microbodies / Q000187:drug effects / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D008930:Mitochondria, Liver / Q000187:drug effects / Q000648:ultrastructure; D011247:Pregnancy; D013552:Swine; D013556:Swine, Miniature / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000196:embryology; D014617:Vacuoles / Q000187:drug effects / Q000648:ultrastructure
D000431:Ethanol; D006003:Glycogen