Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
9012793 | Life Sciences | 2005 | 12 Pages |
Abstract
Chronic ethanol ingestion decreases the number of somatostatin (SRIF) receptors in the rat frontoparietal cortex and female sex hormones modulate the effects of ethanol in the brain. Therefore, we investigated the differential effects of ethanol consumption on the SRIFergic system in the frontoparietal cortex of virgin and parturient rats given ethanol in their drinking water before and during gestation. In parturient rats, ethanol consumption decreased the density of SRIF receptors (25%, p < 0.01 vs control parturient group) whereas the SRIF-like immunoreactivity (SRIF-LI) content was increased (140%, p < 0.01). In virgin rats, ethanol ingestion decreased the density of SRIF receptors (42%, p < 0.01) more than in alcoholic parturient rats. SRIF-LI levels were unaffected. The inhibitory effect of SRIF on basal and forskolin-stimulated adenylyl cyclase was significantly lower in alcoholic virgin rats as compared to alcoholic parturient rats. No differences in the levels of the G inhibitory (Gi) α1 and Giα2 proteins were observed among the experimental groups. These results suggest that gestation may confer partial resistance to the ethanol-induced effect on the SRIFergic system.
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Authors
Vicente Barrios, Lilian Puebla-Jiménez, MarÃa del Carmen Boyano-Adánez, Manuel Sanz, Leandro Soriano-Guillén, Eduardo Arilla-Ferreiro,