PRENATAL ETHANOL EXPOSURE REDUCES PARVALBUMIN-IMMUNOREACTIVE GABAERGIC NEURONAL NUMBER IN THE ADULT-RAT CINGULATE CORTEX

The effect of prenatal ethanol exposure on the number of parvalbumin-i mmunoreactive (PA+) GABAergic neurons in the adult rat anterior cingul ate cortex was determined. Pregnant Long-Evans rats were maintained on one of three diets throughout gestation: an ethanol-containing liquid diet, a similar, control liquid diet with the isocaloric substitution of sucrose for ethanol, or a lab chow control diet. Offspring were eu thanized on postnatal day 60 and brains were prepared for parvalbumin immunocytochemistry. Rats exposed to the ethanol-containing diet conta ined 45% fewer PA+ neurons in the anterior cingulate cortex compared w ith sucrose and chow controls. This reduction occurred in the absence of changes in structure volume, and occurred in the absence of changes in PA+ neuronal size. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All righ ts reserved.