Journal of Morphological Sciences
http://www.jms.periodikos.com.br/article/587cb4697f8c9d0d058b4667
Journal of Morphological Sciences
Original Article

Effects of early postnatal ethanol exposure on the migration of rat cerebellar granule cells

T.S. Fiuza; J.O.R. Morais

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Abstract

Neuroblasts are differentiated from the external cell matrix in that they migrate out of the layer and accumulate in the internal surface of the external granular layer in order to form the external layer of the mantle. Exposure to ethanol in rats during pregnancy and early postnatal period is followed by selective loss of neuron cells in the areas where the cerebellum and hippocampus are formed. The aim of this work was to analyze the effects of alcohol on granular brain cells of rats aged 6 days old, with a survival time of 2 and 24 hours after administration of BrdU (5-Bromo-2’-desoxiuridina), a thymidine analog. Accordingly, three intraperitoneal (IP) injections of 20% ethanol (3 g kg of the body weight) were administered every five hours. Sixteen hours after the last ethanol injection, BrdU (60 μg.kg–1) was administered intraperitoneally. The rats were sacrificed 2 or 24 hours after administration of BrdU. The brain system was taken apart, embedded in paraffin, and then cut into sections 5 μm thick. BrdU was subsequently detected immunohistochemically in sections of brain tissue. There was a notable decrease in the number of external granular cells in all groups that received ethanol, compared to the respective control groups. The groups that received alcohol presented a decrease in body weight compared to the respective control groups. The ethanol exposure period used in this study demonstrates a critical period in the development of the cerebellar cortex.

Keywords

cerebellar cortex, external granular layer.
587cb4697f8c9d0d058b4667 jms Articles
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J. Morphol. Sci.

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