Ultrastructural reorganizations of synaptic contacts in an organotypic culture of the brain cortex in the presence of ethanol

Abstract

The effect of various ethanol concentrations (0.5 and 1%) on the ultrastructure of interneouronal contacts is studied in an organotypic culture of the brain cortex from newborn rats. It is shown that ethanol in the culture medium causes geometric complications in the synaptic contacts. Morphometric analysis of synapses reveals an increase of the area and perimeter of axon terminals and of the length of the active zone of the contact, as well as a decrease of the coefficient determined by the ratio of the number of synaptic vesicles to the length of the active zone of the contact.