Effect of chronic ethanol exposure on the count of cerebellar Purkinje cells and motor coordination in adult mice

Ethanol-induced motor incoordination and subacute ataxia are widely reported. Damage to cerebellar Purkinje cells has not been described as a constant finding in studies addressing the alcoholic brain nor in experimental studies. The present study aimed to find out the changes in the count of cerebellar Purkinje cells and tests of motor coordination following chronic ethanol exposure in adult mice. Adult male mice were divided into control (C) and ethanol treated (E) groups (n=10). The mice in group E were exposed to 10% ethanol ad libitum (v/v) for four months. Purkinje cells were counted per lobule and motor coordination was tested using rotarod. Mice were allowed to walk in the rotarod for 120 seconds and motor coordination was determined depending on the duration the animal walked on the rotarod. The t-test for independent samples was used to evaluate the data. Cerebellar weight was reduced in group E. A significant loss of Purkinje cells was found in lobules I to IV (p<0.001), but the two caudal lobules (V & VIII) showed less significant damage. Motor incoordination was significant (p<0.01) after 3 months and increased progressively (p<0.001) after 4 months. Chronic ethanol intake produces significant motor incoordination in adult mice, associated with a significant reduction in the count of Purkinje cells in the anterior lobe of cerebellum.