Morphochemical features of sensorimotor cortex and neostriatum neurons in rats with different levels of alcohol preference.

This paper reports interferometric studies of the contents and concentrations of proteins in the cellular structures of neurons of the sensorimotor cortex (layers III, V) and in the region of the caudate nucleus of the neostriatum (Golgi type II cells) in Wistar rats with high, intermediate, and low levels of ethanol preference. The greatest differences between groups of animals in terms of cell size and protein metabolism were seen in the cortex. Along with measures correlating with initial ethanol preference (cell body size, nucleus size, and cytoplasm size of cortical neurons, cytoplasmic protein content, etc.), a number of measures were found to show statistically significant differences which did not correlate with preference (nuclear protein contents and concentrations in cortical neurons of layers III and V). These data may suggest the existence of another significant measure responsible for the difference between the groups and, possibly, more closely correlated with the analytical-synthetic functions of the central nervous system.