INTRACEREBRAL GRAFTS PROMOTE RECOVERY OF THE CHOLINERGIC INNERVATION OF THE HIPPOCAMPAL-FORMATION IN RATS WITHDRAWN FROM CHRONIC ALCOHOL INTAKE - AN IMMUNOCYTOCHEMICAL STUDY

We have previously found that alcohol withdrawal aggravates the neuron al cell loss induced by chronic alcohol consumption in the rat hippoca mpal formation. We have also shown that intracerebral grafts of immatu re hippocampal tissue could reverse the progressive degeneration that occurs during this withdrawal. Furthermore, we have shown that chronic alcohol consumption reduces the areal density of choline acetyltransf erase-immunoreactive neurons and the density of choline acetyltransfer ase-immunoreactive fibres in the hippocampal formation. Thus, we thoug ht it would be of interest to investigate the effects of alcohol withd rawal in the hippocampal cholinergic innervation and to determine whet her the intracerebral grafting of immature hippocampal tissue would ha ve beneficial effects upon the cholinergic system in this condition. C holine acetyltransferase-immunoreactive fibres and perikarya were anal ysed in 14-month-old control, alcohol-fed, withdrawal and withdrawal-g rafted groups of rats. The areal density of choline acetyltransferase- immunoreactive neurons was reduced in all experimental groups when com pared to controls. The density of choline acetyltransferase-immunoreac tive fibres was lower in the alcohol-fed and withdrawal groups than in the control and withdrawal-grafted groups. We conclude that the graft ed tissue probably produced neurotrophic factors which allowed a recov ery of the hippocampal cholinergic fibre network. This recovery might be of importance to reverse the cognitive dysfunction described after chronic alcohol consumption and withdrawal. (C) 1997 IBRO. Published b y Elsevier Science Ltd.