Impaired maturation of Purkinje cells in the fetal alcohol syndrome of the rat. Light and electron microscopic investigations.

Alcohol was administered in a vitamin-supplemented liquid diet (Stardit) to Wistar rats 4 weeks before mating and during pregnancy. Of the daily calories 38--40% were supplied by alcohol and by isocaloric sucrose in the controls. Offspring of alcohol drinking dams showed a reduced birth weight and gained weight less rapidly than the controls. On day 3, 4, 7, 12, 17 and 21, experimental animals and controls were perfused for histological and electron microscopic investigations. Morphometric analysis of the cerebella (Fol. 5 and Fol. 8) showed no difference in the number of Purkinje cells. However, on day 7 the Purkinje cell nuclei of experimental pups were significantly smaller. This difference disappeared at day 12. Electron microscopic investigations in the 4, 7, and 12 days old experimental animals revealed a delayed cytoplasmic maturation of Purkinje cells which mainly involved the rough endoplasmic reticulum. At 17 days, there was no difference between the two groups. These data are discussed in relation to alcohol-induced metabolic changes in the brain.