Serum miRNAs are differentially altered by ethanol and caffeine consumption in rats.

Alcoholism is a multifactorial disease with high risk for dependence determined by genetic background, environmental factors and neuroadaptations. The excessive consumption of this substance is related to psychiatric problems, epilepsy, cardiovascular disease, cirrhosis and cancers. Caffeine is one of the most popular psychostimulants currently consumed in the world. The combination of ethanol and caffeine ingested by consuming "energy drinks" is becoming increasingly popular among young people. We analyzed the effect of simultaneous consumption of ethanol and caffeine on the serum profile of miRNAs differentially expressed in the ethanol-drinking rat model (UChB strain). Adult rats were divided into three groups (n = 5 per group): UChB group (rats fed with 1 : 10 (v/v) ethanol ad libitum); UChB + caffeine group (rats fed with 1 : 10 (v/v) ethanol ad libitum + 3 g L-1 of caffeine); control group (rats drinking water used as the control for UChB). The treatment with caffeine occurred from day 95 to 150 days old, totalizing 55 days of ethanol + caffeine ingestion. The expressions of microRNAs (miR) -9-3p, -15b-5p, -16-5p, -21-5p, -200a-3p and -222-3p were detected by Real Time-PCR (RT-PCR). The expressions of miR-9-3p, -15b-5p, -16-5p and -222-3p were upregulated in the UChB group. Conversely, simultaneous ingestion of ethanol and caffeine significantly reversed these expressions to similar levels to control animals, thus emphasizing that caffeine had a protective effect in the presence of ethanol. In addition, miR-21-5p was downregulated with ethanol consumption whereas miR-222-3p was unchanged. Ethanol and caffeine consumption was capable of altering serum miRNAs, which are potential biomarkers for the systemic effects of these addictive substances.

Association between type of feeding at discharge from the hospital and nutritional status of very low birth weight preterm infants.

The ideal feeding for premature babies has been the source of extensive debate. The aim of this study was to assess the association between type of feeding at discharge and the nutritional status of very low birth weight infants. This was a retrospective cohort of preterm babies with birth weight ≤1500 g, born between January 2006 and December 2013. The infants were divided into 3 groups according to type of feeding at discharge: exclusive breast milk (group 1), mixed feeding (group 2) and exclusive artificial formula (group 3). Frequencies of each group were calculated, as well as mean Z-score differences in weight, length and head circumference. Six hundred and forty-nine newborns were included. The mean weight of groups 1, 2, and 3 was 1338.7, 1104.0, and 1254.7 g, respectively, and their mean gestational age was 31.9, 30, and 31.2 weeks, respectively. The Z-score differences (means±SD) for groups 1, 2, and 3 were: -0.84±0.68, -1.02±0.75, and -0.86±0.71 for weight, -0.21±1.23, -0.52±1.64 and -0.08±1.34 for head circumference, and -1.10±1.18, -1.54±1.37, and -0.97±1.21 for length. A significant difference was observed between groups 2 and 3 in the adjusted Z-score model for length, with no significant differences in anthropometric measurements for the other comparative analyses. Because of its many advantages, breastfeeding should be stimulated within neonatal units since nutritional status was not influenced by the different types of feeding.

Examining the side effects of sucrose for pain relief in preterm infants: a case-control study

Sucrose solution is recommended as relevant pain relief management in neonates during acute painful procedures; however, only a few studies have analyzed the potentially adverse effects of sucrose administration to preterm neonates. The goal of this study was to examine the potential side effects of sucrose for pain relief in preterm infants, assessing feeding and weight gain during hospitalization and their feeding patterns postdischarge. The study sample consisted of 43 preterm neonates divided into two groups: a sucrose group (SG, n=18) and a control group (CG, n=25) in which no sucrose was administered. The SG received 0.5 mL/kg 25% oral sucrose for 2 min prior to all acute painful procedures during three consecutive days. A prospective review of medical charts was performed for all samples. The study was done prior to implementation of the institutional sucrose guidelines as a routine service, and followed all ethical requirements. There were no statistically significant differences between groups in terms of weight gain, length of stay with orogastric tubes, and parenteral feeding. Postdischarge, infant nutritional intake included feeding human milk to 67% of the SG and 74% of the CG. There were no statistically significant differences between groups regarding human milk feeding patterns postdischarge. Neonate feeding patterns and weight gain were unaffected following the short-term use of sucrose for pain relief.

Examining the side effects of sucrose for pain relief in preterm infants: a case-control study.

Sucrose solution is recommended as relevant pain relief management in neonates during acute painful procedures; however, only a few studies have analyzed the potentially adverse effects of sucrose administration to preterm neonates. The goal of this study was to examine the potential side effects of sucrose for pain relief in preterm infants, assessing feeding and weight gain during hospitalization and their feeding patterns postdischarge. The study sample consisted of 43 preterm neonates divided into two groups: a sucrose group (SG, n=18) and a control group (CG, n=25) in which no sucrose was administered. The SG received 0.5 mL/kg 25% oral sucrose for 2 min prior to all acute painful procedures during three consecutive days. A prospective review of medical charts was performed for all samples. The study was done prior to implementation of the institutional sucrose guidelines as a routine service, and followed all ethical requirements. There were no statistically significant differences between groups in terms of weight gain, length of stay with orogastric tubes, and parenteral feeding. Postdischarge, infant nutritional intake included feeding human milk to 67% of the SG and 74% of the CG. There were no statistically significant differences between groups regarding human milk feeding patterns postdischarge. Neonate feeding patterns and weight gain were unaffected following the short-term use of sucrose for pain relief.

Pain reactivity in preterm neonates: examining the sex differences.

BACKGROUND: Early and repeated experiences of pain may have long-term effects on vulnerable newborns hospitalized in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), and neonatal pain responses may be affected by a variety of factors that neonates encounter. We tested the hypothesis that male preterm neonates exhibited greater pain sensitivity than females by assessing biobehavioural pain reactivity and recovery patterns to painful procedure. METHODS: Fifty-three infants born preterm and low birthweight who were admitted to NICU were observed during five phases (baseline, antisepsis, puncture, recovery-dressing and recovery-resting). Behavioural pain reactivity was measured using the Neonatal Facial Coding System (NFCS) and the Sleep-Wake States Scale (SWS). The heart rate (HR) was continuously recorded. All measures were assessed based on scores and magnitude of responses. RESULTS: We found that male and female preterm neonates had similar patterns of behavioural pain reactivity and recovery; there were no statistical differences between groups in NFCS and SWS scores. However, male preterm infants presented higher HR immediately in the first minute of the puncture phase and also higher change in maximum HR between the baseline and puncture phases, than female preterm infants. CONCLUSION: Although we found that male infants showed higher physiological reactivity to painful stimulus in some HR parameters than female infants, the evidences were not sufficient to confirm the influence of sex on biobehavioural response to pain in vulnerable neonates.

Application of continuous positive airway pressure in the delivery room: a multicenter randomized clinical trial

This study evaluated whether the use of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) in the delivery room alters the need for mechanical ventilation and surfactant during the first 5 days of life and modifies the incidence of respiratory morbidity and mortality during the hospital stay. The study was a multicenter randomized clinical trial conducted in five public university hospitals in Brazil, from June 2008 to December 2009. Participants were 197 infants with birth weight of 1000-1500 g and without major birth defects. They were treated according to the guidelines of the American Academy of Pediatrics (APP). Infants not intubated or extubated less than 15 min after birth were randomized for two treatments, routine or CPAP, and were followed until hospital discharge. The routine (n=99) and CPAP (n=98) infants studied presented no statistically significant differences regarding birth characteristics, complications during the prenatal period, the need for mechanical ventilation during the first 5 days of life (19.2 vs 23.4%, P=0.50), use of surfactant (18.2 vs 17.3% P=0.92), or respiratory morbidity and mortality until discharge. The CPAP group required a greater number of doses of surfactant (1.5 vs 1.0, P=0.02). When CPAP was applied to the routine group, it was installed within a median time of 30 min. We found that CPAP applied less than 15 min after birth was not able to reduce the need for ventilator support and was associated with a higher number of doses of surfactant when compared to CPAP applied as clinically indicated within a median time of 30 min.

Application of continuous positive airway pressure in the delivery room: a multicenter randomized clinical trial.

This study evaluated whether the use of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) in the delivery room alters the need for mechanical ventilation and surfactant during the first 5 days of life and modifies the incidence of respiratory morbidity and mortality during the hospital stay. The study was a multicenter randomized clinical trial conducted in five public university hospitals in Brazil, from June 2008 to December 2009. Participants were 197 infants with birth weight of 1000-1500 g and without major birth defects. They were treated according to the guidelines of the American Academy of Pediatrics (APP). Infants not intubated or extubated less than 15 min after birth were randomized for two treatments, routine or CPAP, and were followed until hospital discharge. The routine (n=99) and CPAP (n=98) infants studied presented no statistically significant differences regarding birth characteristics, complications during the prenatal period, the need for mechanical ventilation during the first 5 days of life (19.2 vs 23.4%, P=0.50), use of surfactant (18.2 vs 17.3% P=0.92), or respiratory morbidity and mortality until discharge. The CPAP group required a greater number of doses of surfactant (1.5 vs 1.0, P=0.02). When CPAP was applied to the routine group, it was installed within a median time of 30 min. We found that CPAP applied less than 15 min after birth was not able to reduce the need for ventilator support and was associated with a higher number of doses of surfactant when compared to CPAP applied as clinically indicated within a median time of 30 min.

Interaction of maternal separation on the UCh rat cerebellum.

Maternal care is the main source of signals and stimuli for proper development, growth, and production of adjustment responses to stressful factors. Adverse experiences in childhood are associated with a vulnerability to developing abusive ethanol ingestion via alterations of the response of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. Alcoholism causes global brain abnormalities, with the cerebellum being one of the most susceptible areas. We evaluated the effect of maternal separation on the cerebellum structure of male UCh rats. Adult male UChA (low 10% ethanol consumption) and UChB (high 10% ethanol consumption) rats were divided in to four experimental groups: (1) UChA, (2) UChA maternal separation (MS), (3) UChB, and (4) UChB MS. The MS occurred between the 4th and 14th days of age, for 240 min day(-1) . Euthanasia was performed at 120 days of age. An image analysis system was used to measure cerebellar cortical height and Purkinje cellular area and height in five rats from each group. The cerebellar sections were stained with antibodies against IGFR-I. MS did not alter the ethanol consumption of UChA and UChB rats. Corticosterone level was significantly higher in UChA MS and UChB MS rats than in UChA and UChB rats. The Purkinje cellular area and height were higher in UChA MS rats. IGFR-I expression was observed in the cortical glomerular area of UChA MS and UChB MS rats. MS altered the Purkinje cells in the cerebella of male UCh rats.

Nasal CPAP in the delivery room for newborns with extremely low birth weight in a hospital in a developing country.

The objective of this study was to determine the feasibility of the use of continuous positive airway pressure installed prophylactically in the delivery room (DR-CPAP), for infants with a birth weight between 500 and 1000 g in settings with limited resources. During 23 months, infants with a birth weight between 500 and 1000 g consecutively received DR-CPAP. A total of 33 infants with low birth weight were enrolled, 16 (48.5%) were females. Only 14 (42.4%) received antenatal corticosteroids and only 2 of those 14 (14.3%) infants weighing 500-750 g were not intubated in the delivery room, and apnea was given as the reason for intubation of these patients. Of the 19 infants in the 751-1000 g weight range, 9 (47.4%) were intubated in the delivery room, 6 due to apnea and 3 due to respiratory discomfort. For DR-CPAP to be successful, it is probably necessary for preterm babies to be more prepared at birth to withstand the respiratory effort without the need for intubation. Antenatal corticosteroids and better prenatal monitoring are fundamental for success of DR-CPAP.

Nasal CPAP in the delivery room for newborns with extremely low birth weight in a hospital in a developing country

The objective of this study was to determine the feasibility of the use of continuous positive airway pressure installed prophylactically in the delivery room (DR-CPAP), for infants with a birth weight between 500 and 1000 g in settings with limited resources. During 23 months, infants with a birth weight between 500 and 1000 g consecutively received DR-CPAP. A total of 33 infants with low birth weight were enrolled, 16 (48.5%) were females. Only 14 (42.4%) received antenatal corticosteroids and only 2 of those 14 (14.3%) infants weighing 500-750 g were not intubated in the delivery room, and apnea was given as the reason for intubation of these patients. Of the 19 infants in the 751-1000 g weight range, 9 (47.4%) were intubated in the delivery room, 6 due to apnea and 3 due to respiratory discomfort. For DR-CPAP to be successful, it is probably necessary for preterm babies to be more prepared at birth to withstand the respiratory effort without the need for intubation. Antenatal corticosteroids and better prenatal monitoring are fundamental for success of DR-CPAP.

Pediatric pain: prevalence, assessment, and management in a teaching hospital

The goal of this study was to examine the prevalence, assessment and management of pediatric pain in a public teaching hospital. The study sample consisted of 121 inpatients (70 infants, 36 children, and 15 adolescents), their families, 40 physicians, and 43 nurses. All participants were interviewed except infants and children who could not communicate due to their clinical status. The interview included open-ended questions concerning the inpatients’ pain symptoms during the 24 h preceding data collection, as well as pain assessment and pharmacological/non-pharmacological management of pain. The data were obtained from 100% of the eligible inpatients. Thirty-four children/adolescents (28%) answered the questionnaire and for the other 72% (unable to communicate), the family/health professional caregivers reported pain. Among these 34 persons, 20 children/adolescents reported pain, 68% of whom reported that they received pharmacological intervention for pain relief. Eighty-two family caregivers were available on the day of data collection. Of these, 40 family caregivers (49%) had observed their child’s pain response. In addition, 74% reported that the inpatients received pharmacological management. Physicians reported that only 38% of the inpatients exhibited pain signs, which were predominantly acute pain detected during clinical procedures. They reported that 66% of patients received pharmacological intervention. The nurses reported pain signs in 50% of the inpatients, which were detected during clinical procedures. The nurses reported that pain was managed in 78% of inpatients by using pharmacological and/or non-pharmacological interventions. The findings provide evidence of the high prevalence of pain in pediatric inpatients and the under-recognition of pain by health professionals.

Pediatric pain: prevalence, assessment, and management in a teaching hospital.

The goal of this study was to examine the prevalence, assessment and management of pediatric pain in a public teaching hospital. The study sample consisted of 121 inpatients (70 infants, 36 children, and 15 adolescents), their families, 40 physicians, and 43 nurses. All participants were interviewed except infants and children who could not communicate due to their clinical status. The interview included open-ended questions concerning the inpatients' pain symptoms during the 24 h preceding data collection, as well as pain assessment and pharmacological/non-pharmacological management of pain. The data were obtained from 100% of the eligible inpatients. Thirty-four children/adolescents (28%) answered the questionnaire and for the other 72% (unable to communicate), the family/health professional caregivers reported pain. Among these 34 persons, 20 children/adolescents reported pain, 68% of whom reported that they received pharmacological intervention for pain relief. Eighty-two family caregivers were available on the day of data collection. Of these, 40 family caregivers (49%) had observed their child's pain response. In addition, 74% reported that the inpatients received pharmacological management. Physicians reported that only 38% of the inpatients exhibited pain signs, which were predominantly acute pain detected during clinical procedures. They reported that 66% of patients received pharmacological intervention. The nurses reported pain signs in 50% of the inpatients, which were detected during clinical procedures. The nurses reported that pain was managed in 78% of inpatients by using pharmacological and/or non-pharmacological interventions. The findings provide evidence of the high prevalence of pain in pediatric inpatients and the under-recognition of pain by health professionals.

Physical exercise on the rat ventral prostate: steroid hormone receptors, apoptosis and cell proliferation.

Studies have investigated the effect of exercise on prostate cancer risk. However, there are still doubts regarding the correlation between physical activity and the steroid hormones with respect to the reduction of the risk for prostatic lesions. We evaluated the levels of corticosterone, dihydrotestosterone (DHT), testosterone, estradiol, and steroid hormone receptors, and investigated the relationship between apoptosis and cell proliferation in the rat ventral prostate after training. Two groups were included in this study: control and trained. The trained group was submitted to training for 13 weeks (1 week of adaptation). Two days after the last training session, all animals were euthanized, and the intermediate and distal regions of the ventral prostate were collected and processed for immunohistochemistry, Western blotting and hormonal analyses. Physical exercise increased the corticosterone plasma, DHT and testosterone. In addition, androgen receptor expression was lower and estrogen receptor (ER) α and ER ß expression were higher in the trained group. However, the trained group showed disruption of the ratio of apoptotic to proliferating cells, indicating a predominance of apoptosis. We conclude that physical exercise alters the sex hormones and their receptors and is associated with the disruption of the balance between apoptosis and cell proliferation in the rat ventral prostate.

Proactive management of extreme prematurity: disagreement between obstetricians and neonatologists.

OBJECTIVE: To verify, in extremely preterm infants, if disagreement between obstetricians and neonatologists regarding proactive management is associated with early death. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective cohort of 484 infants with 23(0/7) to 26(6/7) weeks, without malformations, born from January 2006 to December 2009 in eight Brazilian hospitals. Pro-active management was defined as indication of ≥1 dose of antenatal steroid or cesarean section (obstetrician) and resuscitation at birth according to the international guidelines (neonatologist). Main outcome was neonatal death in the first 24 h of life. RESULT: Obstetricians and neonatologists disagreed in 115 (24%) patients: only neonatologists were proactive in 107 of them. Disagreement between professionals increased 2.39 times the chance of death in the first day (95% confidence interval 1.40 to 4.09), adjusted for center and maternal/neonatal clinical conditions. CONCLUSION: In infants with 23 to 26 weeks of gestation, disagreement between obstetricians and neonatologists, translated as lack of antenatal steroids and/or vaginal delivery, despite resuscitation procedures, increases the odds of death in the first day.

Does the neonatal clinical risk for illness severity influence pain reactivity and recovery in preterm infants?

BACKGROUND: The biobehavioural pain reactivity and recovery of preterm infants in the neonatal period may reflect the capacity of the central nervous system to regulate neurobiological development. OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present study was to analyse the influence of the neonatal clinical risk for illness severity on biobehavioural pain reactivity in preterm infants. METHODS: Fifty-two preterm infants were allocated into two groups according to neonatal severity of illness, as measured by the Clinical Risk Index for Babies (CRIB). The low clinical risk (LCr) group included 30 neonates with CRIB scores <4, and the high clinical risk (HCr) group included 22 neonates with CRIB scores ≥4. Pain reactivity was assessed during a blood collection, which was divided into five phases (baseline, antisepsis, puncture, recovery-dressing and recovery-resting). Behavioral pain reactivity was measured using the scores, and magnitude of responses in Neonatal Facial Coding System (NFCS) and Sleep-Wake States Scale (SWS). The heart rate was continuously recorded. RESULTS: The HCr demonstrated a higher magnitude of response on the SWS score from the baseline to the puncture phase than the LCr. Also, the HCr exhibited a higher mean heart rate and minimum heart rate than the LCr in the recovery-resting phase. In addition, the HCr exhibited a higher minimum heart rate from the baseline to the recovery-resting phase than the LCr. CONCLUSION: The infants exhibiting a high neonatal clinical risk showed high arousal during the puncture procedure and higher physiological reactivity in the recovery phase.

Long-term melatonin treatment reduces ovarian mass and enhances tissue antioxidant defenses during ovulation in the rat

Melatonin regulates the reproductive cycle, energy metabolism and may also act as a potential antioxidant indoleamine. The present study was undertaken to investigate whether long-term melatonin treatment can induce reproductive alterations and if it can protect ovarian tissue against lipid peroxidation during ovulation. Twenty-four adult female Wistar rats, 60 days old (± 250-260 g), were randomly divided into two equal groups. The control group received 0.3 mL 0.9 percent NaCl + 0.04 mL 95 percent ethanol as vehicle, and the melatonin-treated group received vehicle + melatonin (100 µg·100 g body weight-1·day-1) both intraperitoneally daily for 60 days. All animals were killed by decapitation during the morning estrus at 4:00 am. Body weight gain and body mass index were reduced by melatonin after 10 days of treatment (P < 0.05). Also, a marked loss of appetite was observed with a fall in food intake, energy intake (melatonin 51.41 ± 1.28 vs control 57.35 ± 1.34 kcal/day) and glucose levels (melatonin 80.3 ± 4.49 vs control 103.5 ± 5.47 mg/dL) towards the end of treatment. Melatonin itself and changes in energy balance promoted reductions in ovarian mass (20.2 percent) and estrous cycle remained extensive (26.7 percent), arresting at diestrus. Regarding the oxidative profile, lipid hydroperoxide levels decreased after melatonin treatment (6.9 percent) and total antioxidant substances were enhanced within the ovaries (23.9 percent). Additionally, melatonin increased superoxide dismutase (21.3 percent), catalase (23.6 percent) and glutathione-reductase (14.8 percent) activities and the reducing power (10.2 percent GSH/GSSG ratio). We suggest that melatonin alters ovarian mass and estrous cyclicity and protects the ovaries by increasing superoxide dismutase, catalase and glutathione-reductase activities.

IGFR-I expression and structural analysis of the hard palatine mucosa in an ethanol-drinking rat strain (UChA and UChB).

The study analyzed the effects of chronic alcohol ingestion on the ultrastructure of the lining epithelium of the hard palatine mucosa of rats UChA and UChB (lines with voluntary alcohol consumption) in order to contribute to the understanding of the consequences of alcohol abuse for the morphology of the digestive system. Thirty female adult animals aged 120 days were divided into three experimental groups. (1) Ten UChA rats (genetically low ethanol consumer) with voluntary intake of 10% v/v (5.45 g/kg/day) ethanol solution and water. (2) Ten UChB (genetically high ethanol consumer) rats with voluntary intake of 10% v/v (7.16 g/kg/day) ethanol solution and water. (3) Ten Wistar rats with voluntary ad libitum water intake (control group). Both groups received Nuvital pellets ad libitum. The IGFR-I expression was intense in both experimental groups. The epithelial cells of the alcoholic rats UChA and UChB showed many alterations such as the presence of lipid droplets, altered nuclei, nuclei in corneum layer and disrupted mitochondria. It was concluded that ethanol intake induces ultrastructural lesions in the hard palatine mucosa.

Long-term melatonin treatment reduces ovarian mass and enhances tissue antioxidant defenses during ovulation in the rat.

Melatonin regulates the reproductive cycle, energy metabolism and may also act as a potential antioxidant indoleamine. The present study was undertaken to investigate whether long-term melatonin treatment can induce reproductive alterations and if it can protect ovarian tissue against lipid peroxidation during ovulation. Twenty-four adult female Wistar rats, 60 days old (± 250-260 g), were randomly divided into two equal groups. The control group received 0.3 mL 0.9% NaCl + 0.04 mL 95% ethanol as vehicle, and the melatonin-treated group received vehicle + melatonin (100 µg·100 g body weight(-1)·day(-1)) both intraperitoneally daily for 60 days. All animals were killed by decapitation during the morning estrus at 4:00 am. Body weight gain and body mass index were reduced by melatonin after 10 days of treatment (P < 0.05). Also, a marked loss of appetite was observed with a fall in food intake, energy intake (melatonin 51.41 ± 1.28 vs control 57.35 ± 1.34 kcal/day) and glucose levels (melatonin 80.3 ± 4.49 vs control 103.5 ± 5.47 mg/dL) towards the end of treatment. Melatonin itself and changes in energy balance promoted reductions in ovarian mass (20.2%) and estrous cycle remained extensive (26.7%), arresting at diestrus. Regarding the oxidative profile, lipid hydroperoxide levels decreased after melatonin treatment (6.9%) and total antioxidant substances were enhanced within the ovaries (23.9%). Additionally, melatonin increased superoxide dismutase (21.3%), catalase (23.6%) and glutathione-reductase (14.8%) activities and the reducing power (10.2% GSH/GSSG ratio). We suggest that melatonin alters ovarian mass and estrous cyclicity and protects the ovaries by increasing superoxide dismutase, catalase and glutathione-reductase activities.

Structural evaluation of the effects of chronic ethanol ingestion on the testis of Calomys callosus.

Chronic exposure to ethanol may results in pathophysiologic changes in cellular function. The present work was designed to investigate the morphology of testis submitted to experimental ethanol ingestion. Experimental animals were divided into two groups. The control group (n=23) received a solid diet and tap water and the alcoholic group (n=23) received the same solid diet and ethanol P.A. diluted 20% in water (v/v). After 120 days of treatment, all animals were anesthetized, weighed and sacrificed. Testosterone and luteinizing hormone levels in serum were lower in the alcoholic group than in the control group. Histological and ultrastructural alterations were observed in the testicular alcoholic germinative cells like enormous spaces, lipid droplets accumulation, digestive vacuoles, irregular diameter of the seminiferous tubules and interstitial dilated blood vessels. It was concluded that 20% ethanol provokes lesions on the testis germinative epithelium probably inducing gonadal dysfunction.

Evaluation of the ethanol intake on the Calomys callosus seminal vesicle structure.

The effects of chronic alcohol ingestion on the structure of the glandular epithelium of the seminal vesicle of the rodent Calomys callosus were analyzed in 24 adult animals aged 3 months divided into three experimental groups. The control group received a solid diet and tap water, the alcoholic group received the same solid diet and ethanol P.A. diluted 20% in water (v/v) for 4 months. The abstinent group received the same liquid diet of the alcoholic one for the same period and after that the alcoholic diet was changed by water for a period of 3 months. After treatment, all animals were anesthetized, weighed and sacrificed. At the end of treatment, mean body weight did not differ between animal groups. The glandular epithelial cells of the alcoholic and abstinent groups showed atrophy and ultrastructural alterations such as the presence of altered nuclei, intense dilatation of the cisterns of the granular endoplasmic reticulum, intense digestive vacuoles and lipid droplets. Ethanol ingestion provokes marked lesions on the epithelium of the seminal vesicle probably interfering on the glandular secretion.