Ethanol consumption affecting some brain proteins and cortical plasticity might disturb the neural networks of long-term memory

Abstract

The objective of this study is to investigate whether chronic ethanol consumption include brain damage expressed as; an increase of antibody titer to S-100 and synaptic membrane proteins, additioning of lateral ventricles volume and increasing within the brain cortex in the rats. After six months of ethanol consumption rats wer tested for antibody titer to S-100, neuron specific enolase (NSE), 14-3-2 and synaptic membrane proteins. In this rat's diameter of anterior, medial and posterior cortical areas and diameter of lateral ventricles were measured after histological examination. Ethanol consumption significantly increases antibody titer to V-100 and synaptic membranes, decrease antibody titer to 14-3-2 protein and do not affect antibody to NSE in peripheral blood of these animals. Additional volume of lateral right and left ventricles indicate that brain atrophy appears after six months of ethanol consumption. Increased diameter of anterior cortical area but not medial and posterior cortical area indicate morphological changes in the brain cortical tissue in prefrontal, and frontal cortical areas that art, responsible for attention memory and associative long-term memory in this part of the brain. Of course, all of these morpho-functional changes in the cortex find some depth structures of the brain might disturb the function of neural networks for abovementioned types of memory in the brain.