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Multifaceted alterations of the thalamo-cortico-thalamic loop in adult rats prenatally exposed to ethanol

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Abstract

The thalamo-cortico-thalamic loop was investigated in adult rats exposed to ethanol during the last week of fetal life. Animals underwent either cortical or thalamic injections of lectin-conjugated horseradish peroxidase. Results demonstrate that prenatal exposure to ethanol causes permanent changes in the thalamocortical circuits. Alterations of thalamo-cortical and cortico-thalamic projections are concentrated at the level of axon terminal fields. The most severe thalamic damage is observed in the anterior intralaminar and midline nuclei; crossed cortico-thalamic projections also appear to be severely impaired. In the cortex, the damage to thalamic terminals displays a medio-lateral gradient of increasing severity through sensori-motor areas, with the lateral fields more impaired. Cells of origin of thalamo-cortical and cortico-thalamic projections are less affected by prenatal ethanol exposure: in the thalamus and layer 5 of sensori-motor cortex labeled cells exhibit normal values of areal numeric density. Conversely, cortico-thalamic neurons of layer 6, especially in the lateral agranular sensori-motor field, display smaller values of areal density than those of normal animals. Possible mechanisms underlying the establishment of these abnormalities are discussed.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Anatomy, Catholic University, Largo F. Vito 1, I-00168, Rome, Italy

    Alberto Granato

  2. Department of Neurologic and Psychiatric Sciences, University of Florence, Italy

    Marialaura Santarelli & Diego Minciacchi

  3. Laboratory of Experimental Neurology, Institute of Neurology Catholic University, Rome, Italy

    Alessandro Sbriccoli

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  1. Alberto Granato
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  2. Marialaura Santarelli
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  3. Alessandro Sbriccoli
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  4. Diego Minciacchi
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Granato, A., Santarelli, M., Sbriccoli, A. et al. Multifaceted alterations of the thalamo-cortico-thalamic loop in adult rats prenatally exposed to ethanol. Anat Embryol 191, 11–23 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00215293

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