title: Effects of prolonged alcohol exposure on somatotrophs and corticotrophs in adult rats: Stereological and hormonal study.
abstract: Exposure to alcohol alters many physiological processes, including endocrine status. The present study examined whether prolonged alcohol (A) exposure could modulate selected stereological and hormonal aspects of pituitary somatotrophs (growth hormone-GH cells) and corticotrophs (adrenocorticotropic hormone-ACTH cells) in adult rats. Changes in pituitary gland volume; the volume density, total number and volume of GH and ACTH cells following alcohol exposure were evaluated using a stereological system (newCAST), while peripheral GH and ACTH levels were determined biochemically. Our results demonstrated the reduction (p<0.05) of the volume density (37%) and volume of GH cells (29%) in the group A. Also, there was a tendency for the total number of GH cells to be smaller in the group A. Serum GH level was significantly decreased (p<0.05; 70%) in the group A when compared to control values. Moreover, prolonged alcohol exposure induced declines (p<0.05) in volume density (24%) and volume of ACTH cells (29%). The total number of ACTH cells and ACTH level were higher (p<0.05; 42%) in the group A than in control rats. Collectively, these results indicate that prolonged alcohol exposure leads not only to changes in GH and ACTH hormone levels, but also to alterations of the morphological aspects of GH and ACTH cells within the pituitary.
authors.affiliation: University of Belgrade, Institute for Biological Research "Siniša Stanković", Department of Cytology, Belgrade, Serbia. Electronic address: lanat@ibiss.bg.ac.rs.
authors.forename: Svetlana
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Trifunović
authors.affiliation: University of Belgrade, Institute for Biological Research "Siniša Stanković", Department of Cytology, Belgrade, Serbia.
authors.forename: Milica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Manojlović-Stojanoski
authors.affiliation: University of Belgrade, Institute for Biological Research "Siniša Stanković", Department of Cytology, Belgrade, Serbia.
authors.forename: Nataša
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ristić
authors.affiliation: University of Belgrade, Institute for Biological Research "Siniša Stanković", Department of Cytology, Belgrade, Serbia.
authors.forename: Branka Šošić
authors.initials: BŠ
authors.lastname: Jurijević
authors.affiliation: University of Belgrade, Institute for Biological Research "Siniša Stanković", Department of Neurophysiology, Belgrade, Serbia.
authors.forename: Snežana Raus
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Balind
authors.affiliation: National Poison Control Centre, Military Medical Academy, Belgrade, Serbia.
authors.forename: Gordana
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Brajković
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Skopje, Macedonia.
authors.forename: Florina
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Perčinić-Popovska
authors.affiliation: University of Belgrade, Institute for Biological Research "Siniša Stanković", Department of Cytology, Belgrade, Serbia.
authors.forename: Verica
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Milošević
mesh_terms: D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone / Q000097:blood; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000097:blood / Q000473:pathology*; D000818:Animals; D052680:Corticotrophs / Q000187:drug effects*; D000431:Ethanol / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000633:toxicity*; D013006:Growth Hormone / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects; D010902:Pituitary Gland / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D052683:Somatotrophs / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D000431:Ethanol; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone; D013006:Growth Hormone
keywords: Alcohol; Corticotrophs; Histology; Somatotrophs; Stereology