[Quantitative study of the apical dendritic spines in the cingulate lamina-V-pyramid neurons of the rat following oral application of alcohol]

Abstract

The question answered in this paper is whether the apical dendritic spines-values of lamina-V-pyramidal cells of the gyrus cinguli of the rat are changed as a result of the oral application of ethanol. Alcohol-application causes a statistically significant increase of apical spines, especially at the main dendrite when given during the early postnatal development phase, where the brain is still impressible. The results are discussed as compensatory achievement of the not degeneratively changed neurons, while other pyramids show signs of degeneration. The conclusions were compared with the results of Kunz et al. (1976), who investigated the ethanol-effects on hippocampal pyramids.