The spectrum of hemispheral cortex lesions in intrauterine alcoholic intoxication.

Aim of the study was to examine the specific morphological changes of brain cortex in fetal alcoholic intoxication model. The latter was performed in male and female animals by substituting water with 15% ethyl alcohol during 1 month period, which was followed by putting pregnant females on alcohol of the same concentration for the duration of the whole period of pregnancy (21 days). 24 experimental and 10 control (intact) animals were subjected to study overall. The study material applied the samples of brain convexital cortex from foetus and newborn rats. Paraffin-embedded slices (films) were dyed by the method of Nissle and hematoxylin eosin. After immersion fixation in 2.5% glutaraldehyde and 1% osmium acid solutions followed by double contrasting, the ultrathin slices were studied in the electron microscope Tesla BS 500. Macroscopic study demonstrated the hyperemia of pia with partial incorporation, different types of neuroorganogenesis disturbance, also, leptomeningeal heterotopia and microcephaly in 6 cases from 24 (25%) in the experimental group. Morphology of cortical damage to fetal brain in alcoholic intoxication was demonstrated by progressive massive destruction of neuronal mitochondria, involutional changes in dendrites and their processes and glial proliferation, which possibly account for the structural basis of energetic and informational deficit in neurons. Acquired data may be extrapolated on human model of alcoholic embryopathy with subsequent cognitive problems.