Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
These authors hypothesized that methanol would cause a depletion in
dopamine levels and degeneration of the dopaminergic nigrostriatal
pathway. Consistent with this hypothesis, they found dopamine levels
were significantly decreased (32% and 51%) in the striatum of rats in
the FAD group treated with 2% and 4% methanol, respectively. In the
FAS group, a significant decrease (32%) was observed in the 4%
methanol-exposed group.
Methanol treatment at 2% and 4% was associated with significant
increases in activity in a spontaneous locomotor activity test in the FAS
group (13% and 39%, respectively) and more notably, in the FAD group
(33% and 66%, respectively) when compared to their respective con-
trols. The authors suggest that alterations in locomotor activity may be
due to a significant alteration in dopamine receptors and disruption in
neurotransmitter availability. Dopamine receptor (D
2
) binding in the
hippocampus of the FAD group was increased by 34% in the 1%
methanol group but was decreased by 20% and 42% in the 2% and 4%
methanol groups, respectively. In the FAS group, D
2
binding was
significantly increased by 22% and 54% in the 2% and 4% methanol
groups.
At PND 45, performance in the CAR test in FAD rats exposed to 2%
and 4% methanol was decreased by 48% and 52%, respectively,
compared to non exposed animals fed the same diet. In the FAS group,
the CAR was only decreased in the 4% methanol-exposed animals, and
only by 22% compared to their controls. Aziz et al. (2002) suggest that
the impairment in CAR of the methanol-exposed FAD pups may be due
to alterations in the number of cholinergic (muscarinic) receptor
proteins in the hippocampal region of the brain. Muscarinic receptor
binding was significantly increased in the 2% (20%) and 4% (42%)
methanol-exposed group in FAD animals, while FAS group animals had
a significant increase in cholinergic binding only in the 4% methanol
exposed group (21%).
Immunohistochemistry showed an increase in the expression of
GAP-43 protein in the dentate granular and pyramidal cells of the
hippocampus in 2% and 4%methanol-exposed offspring of animals fed
the FAD diet, while offspring of animals fed the FAS diet showed
increased expression only in the 4% methanol-exposed group. Western
