Effects of chronic ethanol consumption on memory and molecular changes in hippocampus of young adult wistar rats
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1
Department of Biological Sciences, Middle-East Technical University, Türkiye
Alcohol is one of the most common drugs of abuse in human population and is known as a potent teratogen. Chronic alcohol intake during adult life was reported to have adverse effects on the brain morphology (increased cell loses) and functions (decreased long-term potentiation and memory deficits). These adverse effects related to chronic exposure to alcohol in the adulthood were postulated to aggravate during the withdrawal period. However, the results of animal studies related to the deteriorating effects of chronic alcohol intake on behavior are not always consistent. The aim of the present study was to examine retention of spatial reference memory after 15 days of binge-like drinking and during alcohol withdrawal in young adult Wistar rats. Prior to alcohol treatment, rats received Morris Water Maze (MWM) training. Afterwards, rats were intragastrically administered ethanol at the dose increasing from 4.5g-to-12g/kg. At the end of the alcohol administration, the blood alcohol concentration was 605.67±36mg/dl. Intubation control groups (n=7) received infusions of a sucrose solution without ethanol. When the ethanol administration was completed, ethanol was withdrawn, and the behavioral tests were done 3rd hr, 24th hr, and 72nd hr of the ethanol withdrawal. Subsequently, all subjects were given a single probe trial in the MWM to test memory retention. There was also an attempt to correlate the behavioral deficits with the changes in the proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids profiles in the rat hippocampus, a brain structure critical for spatial learning and memory by using Fourier Transform Infra-Red (FT-IR) spectroscopy. Behaviorally, no significant between–group differences were observed in probe trial despite of long alcohol intoxication. However, there were great increases in the total content of proteins, lipids, as well as amino, fatty, and nucleic acids that were suggesting the altered hippocampus structure due to ethanol. This increases diminished along with the alcohol withdrawal. In all alcohol groups, increased lipid disordering and decrease in membrane fluidity were noted which may have adverse effects on the cell functions.
Conference:
10th International Conference on Cognitive Neuroscience, Bodrum, Türkiye, 1 Sep - 5 Sep, 2008.
Presentation Type:
Poster Presentation
Topic:
Memory & Learning
Citation:
Elibol
B,
Jakubowska-Doğru
E and
Severcan
F
(2008). Effects of chronic ethanol consumption on memory and molecular changes in hippocampus of young adult wistar rats.
Conference Abstract:
10th International Conference on Cognitive Neuroscience.
doi: 10.3389/conf.neuro.09.2009.01.271
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Received:
09 Dec 2008;
Published Online:
09 Dec 2008.
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Correspondence:
Birsen Elibol, Department of Biological Sciences, Middle-East Technical University, Ankara, Türkiye, birsen_elibol@yahoo.com