Quantification of silver-staining nucleolar organizer region in epithelial cells of tongue of mice after exposure to, or intake of, alcohol

• Published in: Alcohol (Fayetteville, N.Y.) Vol. 34; no. 2; pp. 233 - 238
• Main Authors: Carrard, Vinicius C., Sant'Ana Filho, Manoel, Rados, Pantelis V., Chaves, Anna Cecília M., da Silva Lauxen, Isabel
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY Elsevier Inc 01.10.2004; Elsevier Science; Elsevier Limited
• Subjects: AgNOR; Alcoholism and acute alcohol poisoning; Animals; Biological and medical sciences; Cell proliferation; Cell Proliferation - drug effects; Epithelial Cells - chemistry; Epithelial Cells - cytology; Epithelial Cells - drug effects; Ethanol; Ethanol - administration & dosage; Female; Letters; Medical sciences; Mice; Mouth Mucosa - chemistry; Mouth Mucosa - cytology; Mouth Mucosa - drug effects; Nucleolus Organizer Region - chemistry; Nucleolus Organizer Region - drug effects; Oral mucosa; Proteins; Silver Staining - methods; Standard deviation; Studies; Tongue - chemistry; Tongue - cytology; Tongue - drug effects; Toxicology; Brazil; Rio Grande; Cell proliferation; AgNOR; Ethanol; Oral mucosa; Tongue; Rodentia; Staining; Nucleolus organizer region; Exposure; In vitro; Alcoholic beverage; Oral cavity; Vertebrata; Mammalia; Mouse; Animal; Epithelial cell
• ISSN: 0741-8329; 1873-6823
• DOI: 10.1016/j.alcohol.2004.10.001

The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the effect of alcohol on the proliferative activity of epithelial cells in the lingual mucosa of mice by means of silver-staining nucleolar organizer region (AgNOR) count and area measurements. Forty-eight CF1 mice were separated into three groups. The test groups were submitted to topical exposure to, or intake of, 40% (volume/volume) ethyl alcohol. Biopsy specimens were collected from the middle third of the dorsal tongue at 0, 6, and 12 months, and samples were stained according to the AgNOR technique. Mean number and mean area of AgNOR per nucleus were calculated for 50 basal layer cells and 50 intermediate layer cells. Increases in mean number and mean area of AgNOR per nucleus in intermediate cells were observed at 12 months in the alcohol intake group ( P < .05). Results showed that intake of 40% alcohol increased epithelial cell proliferation in the dorsal surface of lingual mucosa.