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Prenatal ethanol exposure decreases synaptic density in the molecular layer of the cerebellum
1Biology Department, Texas Woman's University, Houston 77030.
Pregnant Long-Evans rats were fed a liquid diet containing ethanol during gestation (peak blood ethanol level of 128 mg/dl). Pairfed dams were given isocaloric diet lacking ethanol; and control dams were allowed ad libitum access to liquid diet without ethanol. Subsequent effects of ethanol were measured by morphometric analysis of electron micrographs. Tissue samples from the molecular layer of the cerebellum (sixth lobule) were stained with ethanolic-phosphotungstic acid (E-PTA) and synaptic junctions were counted. Numbers of synaptic junctions per unit area were compared for 14 and 28 day old offspring of ethanol treated, pairfed or control dams. Synaptic density of the molecular layer of the sixth cerebellar lobule was decreased in 28 day old animals which were exposed prenatally to ethanol.
Pregnant Long-Evans rats were fed a liquid diet containing ethanol during gestation (peak blood ethanol level of 128 mg/dl). Pairfed dams were given isocaloric diet lacking ethanol; and control dams were allowed ad libitum access to liquid diet without ethanol. Subsequent effects of ethanol were measured by morphometric analysis of electron micrographs. Tissue samples from the molecular layer of the cerebellum (sixth lobule) were stained with ethanolic-phosphotungstic acid (E-PTA) and synaptic junctions were counted. Numbers of synaptic junctions per unit area were compared for 14 and 28 day old offspring of ethanol treated, pairfed or control dams. Synaptic density of the molecular layer of the sixth cerebellar lobule was decreased in 28 day old animals which were exposed prenatally to ethanol.
