EFFECTS OF ALCOHOL AND AGING ON THE CINGULAR (AREA-24) AND FRONTAL (AREA-6) CORTICAL AREAS OF THE MOUSE

We have studied the morphometric changes of the neurons of the cingula r area 24 and frontal area 6 of the mouse, produced by age and/or chro nic alcohol intake. The parameters analyzed were nuclear area of these cortical neurons and cellular density (cell/neuropil coefficient). We detected a decrease in the number of neurons with age in practically all layers of the control animals. In the animals that chronically ing ested the alcoholic solution, we also detected a decrease in the numbe r of neurons with age, but only in layer V of the frontal cortex and i n layer VI of the cingular area 24. The comparison between the control and the alcoholic group showed that alcohol intake caused an increase in the nuclear area of the neurons in layer II-III of the frontal cor tex at 180 days, while in the cingular cortex the increase in nuclear area of its neurons was significative at 180 days in layer II-III and at 35 and 180 days in layers V and VI. We think that these changes are the expression of the neuronal plasticity in both cortical areas in r esponse to the alcohol exposure.