Resumo

HERRERA BATISTA, Aleida; ZUMETA DUBE, Melvis Taylín  e  GONZALEZ BRAVO, Maritza. Effects of folic acid on some morphometric variables of the thymus of adolescent rats with fetal alcohol syndrome. Rev Cubana Invest Bioméd [online]. 2012, vol.31, n.1, pp. 63-72. ISSN 0864-0300.

The study is intended to determine the protective effects of folic acid on the thymus of adolescent rats with experimental fetal alcohol syndrome. To this end, 24 adolescent and pregnant Wistar rats were used, which were divided in 4 groups: A) treated with ethanol, B) treated with ethanol and folic acid, C) treated only with folic acid, and D) not treated. Treatment extended throughout the entire gestation period until delivery. Two offspring were chosen from each mother. The offspring were euthanized at 35 days of postnatal life. The thymus was extracted and 4-micrometer cutouts were obtained, which were colored with H/E. The digital program Image Tool was used for morphometry. Measurements were taken of areas of the thymic cortex and medulla, and the relationship between the two variables was determined. A two-way ANOVA was performed. The thymic cortex area was significantly smaller in the group treated with ethanol than in the other groups. Offspring of mothers treated with folic acid showed the highest cortex area values, and the group treated with ethanol and folic acid exhibited a pattern very similar to the control group. It was concluded that ethanol brings about histopathological changes evaluated as thymic cortex atrophy, and that the folic acid administered to mothers during gestation has a protective effect over this abnormality.

Palavras-chave : fetal alcohol syndrome; morphometry; thymus; alcoholism; adolescence.

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