title: Effects of ethanol and ipsapirone on the development of midline raphe glial cells and astrocytes.
abstract: Previously, results of studies from our laboratory have shown that the offspring of ethanol-fed female rats have a significant decrease in serotonin (5-HT) neurons and glia that contain S100B, an essential trophic factor for the development of 5-HT neurons. The deficiency of S100B-immunopositive glia was detected during the vulnerable period in 5-HT neuron development and in brain areas proximal to these neurons. The reductions of both 5-HT neurons and S100B-positive glia were prevented by maternal treatment with a 5-HT(1A) agonist (i.e., ipsapirone or buspirone). In the current study, we investigated whether the offspring of ethanol-fed rats had a general decrease in the density of glial cells in the brain areas that contain 5-HT neurons, and we determined whether these changes were prevented by maternal treatment with ipsapirone between gestational days (GDs) 13 and 20. We estimated the density of vimentin-positive glia of the midline raphe glial structure (MRGS) at GD 20 and postnatal day (PND) 5 and of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP)-positive astrocytes proximal to the dorsal and median raphe at PNDs 5 and 19. The results of this study provide evidence that in utero ethanol exposure is associated with a reduced density of GFAP-immunopositive astrocytes proximal to the dorsal and median raphe. Maternal ipsapirone treatment significantly increased astroglial density in the dorsal raphe at PNDs 5 and 19 and in the median raphe at PND 5, such that it either prevented (dorsal raphe, PNDs 5 and 19) or blunted (median raphe, PND 5) the effects of ethanol.
authors.affiliation: Division of Molecular & Cellular Biochemistry, Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology, and Anatomy, Loyola University Stritch School of Medicine, Maywood, IL 60153, USA.
authors.forename: Nuzhath F
authors.initials: NF
authors.lastname: Tajuddin
authors.forename: Luisa A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Orrico
authors.forename: Jason L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Eriksen
authors.forename: Mary J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Druse
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001253:Astrocytes / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D001921:Brain / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects; D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000431:Ethanol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008636:Mesencephalon / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D009457:Neuroglia / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D011247:Pregnancy; D011743:Pyrimidines / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011903:Raphe Nuclei / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D044282:Receptor, Serotonin, 5-HT1A / Q000187:drug effects; D012701:Serotonin / Q000502:physiology; D017366:Serotonin Receptor Agonists / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014746:Vimentin / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein; D011743:Pyrimidines; D017366:Serotonin Receptor Agonists; D014746:Vimentin; D044282:Receptor, Serotonin, 5-HT1A; D012701:Serotonin; D000431:Ethanol; C043077:ipsapirone