Long-Term Alcohol Consumption Reduces the Number of Neuronal Nuclear Pores. A Morphometric Study Undertaken in CA3 Hippocampal Pyramids of Rats.

A close relationship between the number of nuclear pores and the cellular protein synthesis activity is known to exist. Previous biochemical Investigations lead to admit that the widespread neuronal alcohol-induced degenerative changes could depend on a decrease in the neuronal protein synthesis. The morphometric analysis made on the nuclear pore complexes of CA3 hippocampal pyramids of long-term alcohol-fed rats fully supports this attractive hypothesis, since it has been found a marked reduction in the number of pores per unit surface area of nuclear membrane, together with a reduction in their total number per nucleus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]