DEVELOPMENT OF GLIAL-CELLS CULTURED FROM PRENATALLY ALCOHOL TREATED RAT-BRAIN - EFFECT OF SUPPLEMENTATION OF THE MATERNAL ALCOHOL DIET WITHA GRAPE EXTRACT

The aim of this work was to investigate the effect of supplementation of a maternal alcohol diet with a grape extract on glial cell developm ent. Glial cells were cultured during 4 weeks from cortical brain cell s of the new born offspring in DMEM medium supplemented with fetal cal f serum. Enzymatic markers of nerve cell development were measured (en olase isoenzymes and glutamine synthetase). Since alcohol consumption produces free radicals the antioxidant system superoxide dismutase was also investigated. Compared to the decrease found in only alcohol tre ated animals, all parameters except neuron-specific enolase were antag onized and even stimulated after grape extract supplementation. The ef fect was more important after only 1 month than 3 months of treatment. Also in the total brain an alcohol antagonizing effect and a glutamin e synthetase activation were found. Our data demonstrate that addition of a grape extract to the maternal alcohol diet may partially or comp letely overcome the alcohol induced retardation of glial cell developm ent.