MORPHOLOGICAL-CHANGES ON THE HARD PALATINE MUCOSA OF RATS (RATTUS-NORVEGICUS ALBINUS) AFTER CHRONIC ALCOHOL-CONSUMPTION

In order to examine the effects of alcohol on the hard palatine mucosa of rats, sixty adult female rats (Rattus norvegicus albinus) were div ided into two experimental groups. The control group received solid di et (Purina rat chow) and tap water ad libitum. The alcoholic group rec eived the same solid diet and was allowed to drink only sugar cane bra ndy dissolved in 30% Gay Lussac (v/v). At the end of periods of 90, 18 0 and 270 days of treatment, the animals at estro were sacrificed and the hard palatine mucosa were prepared for TEM and SEM methods. The ba sal cells of the alcoholic groups (90, 180 and 270 days of treatment) demonstrated some alterations: the intercellular spaces between these cells were higher, presented cytoplasmatic lipid droplets and autolysi s. Also, the connective tissue showed intense lipid droplets accumulat ion in the alcoholic groups. These modifications suggested that chroni c alcohol ingestion was able to modify the integrity of the cells in t he rat hard palatine mucosa.