title: Ultrastructure of rat Purkinje neurons after chronic ethanol consumption and prolonged abstinence.
abstract: In the present study of nutrition control of Wistar white rats, the ultrastructure of cerebellar Purkinje cells was studied after chronic ethanol exposure and a subsequent period of prolonged abstinence: a qualitative investigation of the perikarya of Purkinje cells was performed in age-matched controls (group A) and rats alcohol-fed for 5 months and withdrawn from this diet for 3 months (group B). The results showed massive accumulation of small dense bodies as well as obvious deposition of lipofuscin in the Purkinje cells of group B. Furthermore, ring-shaped Golgi apparatus units, lamellar bodies and degenerative foci dispersed throughout the cytoplasm of the alcohol-treated animals referred to degeneration processes and neuronal cell death, the morphological characteristics and the aetiology of which are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Veterinary Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, University of Giessen, Germany.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wenisch
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hild
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Bitsch
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Leiser
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Hummel
mesh_terms: D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000503:physiopathology*; D000818:Animals; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000648:ultrastructure; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D000431:Ethanol / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006056:Golgi Apparatus / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008062:Lipofuscin / Q000032:analysis; D008297:Male; D008854:Microscopy, Electron / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary; D009410:Nerve Degeneration / Q000502:physiology; D009474:Neurons / Q000737:chemistry / Q000187:drug effects / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D015388:Organelles / Q000648:ultrastructure; D011689:Purkinje Cells / Q000737:chemistry / Q000187:drug effects / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
chemical_list: D008062:Lipofuscin; D000431:Ethanol