3-D confocal laser scanning microscopy used in morphometric analysis of rat Purkinje cell dendritic spines after chronic ethanol consumption

A confocal laser scanning microscope (with a 543 nm laser) was used for ima ging rat Purkinje cell dendritic spines at high 3-D resolution In a nutriti onally controlled study of the rat, 5 months of ethanol consumption was dem onstrated to alter the spines of Purkinje cell dendrites in rat cerebellum Intact spines showed significant elongation after ethanol exposure, whereas this neuromorphological alteration could not be detected in controls. Spin e elongation could be regarded as compensative growth of spines in search o f new synaptic contacts due to alcohol induced cell loss.