Neuropathology of intramural autonomic innervation of mice stomach in chronic ethanol intoxication.

Intramural stomach innervation was investigated in DBA mice after 1 week, 6 weeks and 3 months of intragastric ethanol treatment (1 cm3 daily by plastic tube). The results indicated that the intramural nervous system of the stomach underwent ultrastructural and histological changes in relation to ethanol. Alterations were noticeable after 3 weeks of treatment. They were more strongly pronounced after 6 weeks and were maximally advanced in the group with 3 months of ethanol treatment. Mitochondria seemed to be first affected, especially in the axonal processes and nerve endings (higher density, hypertrophy, inverted pattern of cristae). Dense bodies with double membrane as well as altered fibrocytes and myocytes were noticed after longer periods of intoxication. Ischemic disease of neurons developed after 3 months of ethanol administration, probably against the background of severe mitochondrial damage. Some features suggested reconstruction of the cell population in intramural ganglia.