Binge ethanol effects on prefrontal cortex neurons, spatial working memory and task-induced neuronal activation in male and female rats.
Physiol Behav
; 188: 79-85, 2018 05 01.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-29407478
ABSTRACT
Excessive alcohol intake is associated with a multitude of health risks, especially for women. Recent studies in animal models indicate that the female brain is more negatively affected by alcohol, compared to the male brain. Among other regions, excessive alcohol consumption damages the frontal cortex, an area important for many functions and decision making of daily life. The objective of the present study was to determine whether the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) in female rats is selectively vulnerable to alcohol-induced damage. In humans, loss of prefrontal grey matter resulting from heavy alcohol consumption has been documented, however this volume loss is not necessarily due to a decrease in the number of neurons. We therefore quantified both number and nuclear volume of mPFC neurons following binge alcohol, as well as performance and neuronal activation during a prefrontal-dependent behavioral task. Adult male and female Long-Evans rats were assigned to binge or control groups and exposed to ethanol using a well-established 4-day model of alcohol-induced neurodegeneration. Both males and females had significantly smaller average neuronal nuclei volumes than their respective control groups immediately following alcohol binge, but neither sex showed a decrease in neuron number. Binged rats of both sexes initially showed spatial working memory deficits. Although they eventually achieved control performance, binged rats of both sexes showed increased c-Fos labeling in the mPFC during rewarded alternation, suggesting decreased neural efficiency. Overall, our results substantiate prior evidence indicating that the frontal cortex is vulnerable to alcohol, but also indicate that sex-specific vulnerability to alcohol may be brain region-dependent.
Palavras-chave
Texto completo:
1
Coleções:
01-internacional
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Paladar
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Depressores do Sistema Nervoso Central
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Caracteres Sexuais
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Córtex Pré-Frontal
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Etanol
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Memória de Curto Prazo
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Neurônios
Tipo de estudo:
Prognostic_studies
Limite:
Animals
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Physiol Behav
Ano de publicação:
2018
Tipo de documento:
Article
País de afiliação:
Estados Unidos