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Decreased Synapse‐to‐Neuron Ratio in Rat Locus Ceruleus Following Chronic Ethanol Feeding
Author(s) -
Kjellström Christer,
Almström Susanne,
Conradi Nils
Publication year - 1993
Publication title -
alcoholism: clinical and experimental research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.267
H-Index - 153
eISSN - 1530-0277
pISSN - 0145-6008
DOI - 10.1111/j.1530-0277.1993.tb00784.x
Subject(s) - locus ceruleus , neuron , synapse , paraformaldehyde , medicine , ethanol , endocrinology , chemistry , neuroscience , biology , dopamine , biochemistry , dopaminergic , organic chemistry , substantia nigra
Effects of chronic ethanol exposure on the synapse‐to‐neuron ratio of rat locus ceruleus were investigated. Male Sprague‐Dawley rats were given an ethanol‐containing liquid diet for 4 months starting at an age of 5 weeks. Littermates, given isocaloric amounts of an ethanol‐free diet, served as control. The animals were perfusion fixed using a mixture of glutaraldehyde and paraformaldehyde. Synapse‐to‐neuron ratio was estimated by the double disector method and calculated from (N s /A) x (N sec ‐1) / (N n /A) where N s /A is the number of synapses per unit area estimated in a disector with a height of one section and N sec ‐1 is height of the disector, i.e., the number of sections, used for estimating the number of neurons per area (N s /A). The mean estimated synapse‐to‐neuron ratio was 2046 ± 544 (SD) in ethanol‐fed rats and 4291 ± 1171 (SD) in control rats. The difference is statistically significant ( p < 0.05). The finding may be of relevance for understanding the development of abuse, tolerance, drug dependence, and abstinence reactions.