Abstract
The present investigation shows the effect of low dose of diluted ethyl alcohol (0.5 ml of 33% ethyl alcohol) on cerebral cortex, spinal cord and the development of sensorimotor reflexes in albino rat newborns. The newborns were divided into five groups A, B, C, D and E, each of 15 animals. Neuronal loss, oedema, pyknotic cells, vacuolation, neurocyte chromatolysis and dilated blood vessels were observed in cerebral cortex and spinal cord of the treated newborns. The intensity of nissl granules were reduced in the treated groups. The development of sensorimotor reflexes was investigated daily in the normal and treated newborns from Day 2 until reflex maturation. Grasping, surface body righting and hopping are spinal reflexes, while chin tactile placing and visual placing are cerebral reflexes. These reflexes were more retarded in their development in the treated groups than in the normal newborns. In conclusion, the present study showed that alcohol ingestion by pregnant dams at low dose lead to pathological alterations in the newborns in addition to retardation of sensorimotor reflexes in the treated groups depending on the duration of alcohol exposure. So, the most affected group was group B. Key words: Ethanol, cerebrum, spinal cord, sensorimotor reflexes.
Highlights
Alcohol is widely recognized as a neuroteratogen (Thomas et al, 1998; Maier and West, 2003; Sandra; Michael, 2003; Ohrtman et al, 2006; Moutard et al, 2012)
The present study aimed to investigate the effect of alcohol administration on the histological structure of both cerebral cortex and spinal cord at Day 7 and Day 14 as well as the development of sensorimotor reflexes in the rat newborns of different groups between Day 2 and Day 25
In group C, the newborns suffered from prenatal alcohol exposure
Summary
Alcohol is widely recognized as a neuroteratogen (Thomas et al, 1998; Maier and West, 2003; Sandra; Michael, 2003; Ohrtman et al, 2006; Moutard et al, 2012). Animal research indicated a multifactorial mechanism of the teratogenicity of alcohol resulting from nutrient deficiencies, fetal hypoxia alterations in enzyme activities and cell function (Hankin et al, 2000). Ethanol may impair lactational performance, affecting mammary gland function and newborns growth (Ludena et al, 1983). Chronic alcohol administration to the lactating rats affects suckling-induced prolactin release (Tavares et al, 1999; Luisa et al, 2001; Paintner et al, 2012). There was inside out gradient of cortical migration where the new, late-produced corticalneurons were able to move toward the surface post the layers of already migrated cells (Aboitiz,1999). In the developmental mammalian cerebral cortex, there are two early waves and other late wave of cell migration before the establishment of the cortical plate (future cerebral cortex)
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