The development of the internal pyramidal layer neurons of the brain parietal cortex in rats after prenatal alcohol exposure

Abstract

The aim of the paper was to estimate histologically the effect of alcohol consumption by rats during pregnancy on the parietal cortex neurons development in their offspring. Female Wistar rats consumed a 15% solution of ethanol as a single source of drinking (3.64 ± 2.2 g/kg/day) throughout pregnancy, control rats received equivolume amounts of water. The offspring were decapitated on the 2-, 5-, 10-, 20-, 45-, and 90th days after birth and the samples of the brain parietal cortex were prepared for histological examination in combination with morphometry to examine the 5th layer inner pyramidal neurons. Results: Antenatal alcohol exposure in rats increased (on the 2nd and 5th postnatal days), and then reduced (on the 10th and 90th days) the parietal cortex thickness, decreased the amount of parietal cortex inner pyramidal neurons and increased the number of their pathological forms at all time intervals of the examination. Starting from the 20th postnatal day the shrinkage and cessation of the growth of inner pyramidal neurons was observed. Conclusion: Alcohol consumption by rats during pregnancy induces deep and long-term histological changes in the parietal cortex neurons in postnatal ontogenesis in rat offspring including early swelling and postpone shrinkage and the cessation of growth of the brain cortex inner pyramidal neurons.