MORPHOFUNCTIONAL STATE OF THE BRAIN HISTAMINERGIC NEURONS OF THE 45-DAY OFFSPRING OF RATS CONSUMING ETHANOL DURING PREGNANCY

Abstract

Introduction. The consumption of alcohol by the mother during pregnancy disturbs the structure and functions of the offspring brain. Histaminergic neurons of the hypothalamus have not been studied so far. Objective. Estimation of the morphofunctional state of histaminergic neurons in hypothalamic nucleus E2 in the 45-day offspring of rats consuming ethanol during pregnancy. Material and methods. The experiments were performed on white outbred female rats who consumed a 15% ethanol solution during pregnancy, and their 45-day offspring with the use of histological, histochemical, morpho- and cytophotometrical as well as statistical research methods. Results. The 45-day offspring of rats who consumed ethanol during pregnancy, showed a decreased size of the histaminergic neurons bodies, inhibition of succinate dehydrogenase and monoamine oxidase type B as well as activation of acid phosphatase, lactate and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenases in their cytoplasm. Conclusions. The consumption of alcohol by female rats during pregnancy disturbs the structure and metabolism of the developing hypothalamic histaminergic neurons of their offspring.

Keywords

• histaminergic neurons
• ethanol
• postnatal development