Ethanol intoxication reduces, whereas ethanol withdrawal transiently enhances, production of the neural progenitor cells in the adult mouse dentate gyrus

The hippocampus is one of the brain areas where neurogenesis persists during adulthood. To determine whether chronic ethanol administration affects production of the new cells in the dentate gyrus adult mice received ethanol via the inhalation route for 4 weeks and newly born cells were determined after administration of the proliferation marker bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU). An inhibition of the generation of the new cells at the end of ethanol intoxication was observed, whereas ethanol withdrawal induced a transient increase in the number of dividing cells in the dentate gyrus. The differentiation of the newly born cells into mature calbindin-positive neurons during ethanol intoxication or withdrawal was retarded. Although the functional significance of the observed changes is not known, we suggest that retardation of the differentiation of the new cells following ethanol administration might have an impact on the ethanol-induced impairment of hippocampal functions.