Alcohol intake effects on the dorsal vagal complex of the rat: a cellular morphometric study.
We have analyzed the morphometric effects on the dorsal vagal complex (DVC) of the rat of alcohol exposure and/or hypoproteic diet intake during 8 weeks. In the area postrema (AP), alcohol treatment (combined with normal isoproteic or hypoproteic diet) caused a significant decrease in karyometric parameters. In the dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus (DMV) and nucleus tractus solitari (NTS), the alcohol isoproteic intake (AI) produced an increase in neuron size (expressed by an increase in the neuronal nuclear area and the cell/neuropil coefficient). The hypoproteic diets produced a reduction in the global volume of each structure of the DVC which was accompanied by a decrease in global brain volume. These results indicate that after 8 weeks of treatment, alcohol is the main cause of the morphometric alteration found in the DVC, while variations in the amount of protein intake appear to produce global effects on the whole brain.
Bañuelos-Pineda
J
J
Departamento de Anatomía, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de La Laguna, Tenerife, España.
Carmona-Calero
E
E
Peris-Sanchis
R
R
Perez-Gonzalez
H
H
Marrero-Gordillo
N
N
Perez-Delgado
M M
MM
Castañeyra-Perdomo
A
A
D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D001921:Brain / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects*; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000648:ultrastructure; D004044:Dietary Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000431:Ethanol / Q000633:toxicity*; D008297:Male; D008526:Medulla Oblongata / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects*; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects; D009929:Organ Size / Q000187:drug effects; D011488:Protein Deficiency / Q000473:pathology; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D017552:Solitary Nucleus / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects
D004044:Dietary Proteins; D000431:Ethanol