Effects of prolonged alcohol exposure on somatotrophs and corticotrophs in adult rats: Stereological and hormonal study
2016
Authors:
Trifunović, SvetlanaManojlović-Stojanoski, Milica
Ristić, Nataša
Šošić-Jurjević, Branka
Rauš Balind, Snežana
Brajković, Gordana
Perčinić-Popovska, Florina
Milošević, Verica
Document Type:
Article (Published version)
,
© 2016 Elsevier GmbH
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract:
Exposure to alcohol alters many physiological processes, including endocrine status. The present study examined whether prolonged alcohol (A) exposure could modulate selected stereological and hormonal aspects of pituitary somatotrophs (growth hormone-GH cells) and corticotrophs (adrenocorticotropic hormone-ACTH cells) in adult rats. Changes in pituitary gland volume; the volume density, total number and volume of GH and ACTH cells following alcohol exposure were evaluated using a stereological system (newCAST), while peripheral GH and ACTH levels were determined biochemically. Our results demonstrated the reduction (p < 0.05) of the volume density (37%) and volume of GH cells (29%) in the group A. Also, there was a tendency for the total number of GH cells to be smaller in the group A. Serum GH level was significantly decreased (p < 0.05; 70%) in the group A when compared to control values. Moreover, prolonged alcohol exposure induced declines (p < 0.05) in volume density (24%) and volume of ACTH cells (29%). The total number of ACTH cells and ACTH level were higher (p < 0.05; 42%) in the group A than in control rats. Collectively, these results indicate that prolonged alcohol exposure leads not only to changes in GH and ACTH hormone levels, but also to alterations of the morphological aspects of GH and ACTH cells within the pituitary.
Keywords:
Alcohol; Corticotrophs; Histology; Somatotrophs; StereologySource:
Acta Histochemica, 2016, 118, 4, 353-360Funding / projects:
- The effects of select plant extracts, phytoestrogens, steroid and peptide hormones on the rat neuroendocrine system (RS-MESTD-Basic Research (BR or ON)-173009)
DOI: 10.1016/j.acthis.2016.03.005
ISSN: 0065-1281
PubMed: 27017477