FINE-STRUCTURE OF HIPPOCAMPAL DENDRITES IN THE DENTATE FASCIA OF LS SS-MICE AFTER CHRONIC ETHANOL TREATMENT/

1. The effect of ethanol and its withdrawal on the dendritic microtubu les in the dentate fascia of male mice was studied in the ethanol-sens itive, long-sleep (LS) line and the ethanol-insensitive, short-sleep ( SS) line. 2. Both mouse lines were treated with a liquid ethanol diet. Dendrites in the dentate molecular layer (DML) of the right hippocamp us were examined. 3. They revealed marked changes in microtubule densi ty as compared with the controls. While the microtubule density in LS mice was significantly reduced by 15% and 18% in the middle and distal third of the DML, respectively, in SS mice the reduction (by 12%) too k place in the distal third only. During withdrawal a recovery of the microtubule density has been observed in both lines. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Inc.