Effects of prenatal exposure to ethanol on systems matching: the number of neurons in the ventrobasal thalamic nucleus of the mature rat.
Following prenatal exposure to ethanol, rats have a 1/3 fewer neurons in the second order (principal sensory nucleus of the trigeminal nerve) and fourth order neurons (somatosensory cortex) of the trigeminal-somatosensory pathway than do controls. Based on the numerical matching hypothesis, we predict that the number of third-order neurons (in the ventrobasal nucleus of the thalamus; VB) also will show a similar effect of prenatal ethanol exposure. Stereological methods were used to determine the total number of neurons in the VB on postnatal day 30. Surprisingly, prenatal exposure to ethanol had no effect on the VB volume or on the number of VB neurons. Thus, prenatal exposure to ethanol induces numerical imbalances within the trigeminal-somatosensory system.
Mooney
S M
SM
Department of Psychiatry, University of Iowa College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA 52242-1000, USA.
Miller
M W
MW
D000818:Animals; D002452:Cell Count / Q000187:drug effects; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000187:drug effects; D048429:Cell Size / Q000187:drug effects; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D006224:Cricetinae; D000431:Ethanol / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D016555:Matched-Pair Analysis; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D020318:Rats, Long-Evans; D020651:Ventral Thalamic Nuclei / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects*
D000431:Ethanol