title: Chronic ethanol intake leads to structural and molecular alterations in the rat endometrium.
abstract: We described the effects of low- and high-dose ethanol intake on the structure and apoptosis signaling of the uterine endometrium of UChA and UChB rats (animals with voluntary ethanol consumption). Thirty adult female rats, 90 days old, were divided into three groups (n = 10/group): UChA rats fed with 10% (v/v) ethanol ad libitum (free choice for water or ethanol) drinking < 1.9 g/kg/day; UChB rats fed with 10% (v/v) ethanol ad libitum (free choice for water or ethanol) drinking from 2 to 5 g/kg/day; control rats without ethanol (only water). After 120 days of treatment, rats displaying estrus were euthanized. Uterine epithelial cells of the UCh rats showed dilated cisterns of the rough endoplasmic reticulum, presence of lipid droplets, altered nuclear chromatin, and disrupted mitochondria. The UCh rats exhibited intense atrophied epithelial cells with smaller areas and perimeters of cytoplasm and nuclei. The endometrium of UChA rats showed higher levels of caspase-3 while Xiap and Bcl2 varied from moderate to weak. Both UChA and UChB rats exhibited a stronger immunoreaction to Ki-67 and IGFR-1 on epithelial and stromal cells. Chronic ethanol intake leads to structural and molecular alterations in the uterine endometrium of UCh rats, regardless of low- or high-dose consumption, promoting reproductive disorders.
authors.affiliation: Department of Morphology and Pathology, UFSCar, São Carlos, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Marcelo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Martinez
authors.affiliation: Department of Morphology and Pathology, UFSCar, São Carlos, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Flora A
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Milton
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, UNESP, Botucatu, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Patricia Fernanda F
authors.initials: PFF
authors.lastname: Pinheiro
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, UNESP, Botucatu, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Camila C D
authors.initials: CCD
authors.lastname: Almeida-Francia
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, Cellular Biology, Physiology and Biophysics, UNICAMP, Campinas, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Valeria H A
authors.initials: VHA
authors.lastname: Cagnon-Quitete
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery and Anatomy, USP, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Luiz F
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Tirapelli
authors.affiliation: Department of Biostatistics, UNESP, Botucatu, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Carlos Roberto
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Padovani
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, UNESP, Botucatu, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Luiz Gustavo A
authors.initials: LGA
authors.lastname: Chuffa
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, UNESP, Botucatu, SP, Brazil. Electronic address: martinez@ibb.unesp.br.
authors.forename: Francisco Eduardo
authors.initials: FE
authors.lastname: Martinez
mesh_terms: D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000473:pathology*; D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D004717:Endometrium / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D000431:Ethanol / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000633:toxicity*; D005260:Female; D051381:Rats
chemical_list: D000431:Ethanol
keywords: Apoptosis; Epithelium; Ethanol; TEM; UCh rat; Uterus