Alcohol effects on the morphometric development of the subfornical organ and area postrema of the albino mouse.

We have studied the development of the nuclear sizes of ependymocytes and neurons of two circumventricular organs of the male alcoholic mouse: the Subfornical Organ (SFO) and the Area Postrema (AP), comparing the results with a control group. The global volume of both centers was also studied. The results show that the SFO, a structure related to the control of fluid balance, responds to alcoholism with an increase of the global volume. This increase could be related to the variations of salt-water balance and/or blood pressure in chronic alcoholism. However, the size of cell nuclei in the SFO is not affected. In contrast, the AP responds to chronic alcoholism like other nervous centres, with a decrease of the nuclear size of its cells. The global volume of AP does not change.