Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the possible effects of chronic ethanol intake on the
endocrine pancreas of rats.
Material and Metods: The study was performed on 17 male Wistar albino rats. The laboratory animals divided
into two groups as experiment and control. The experimental group was fed with a modified liquid diet (MLD)
containing 7.2 % of ethanol during six months. Control rats were fed by isocaloric MLD without ethanol. At the
end of the experiment rats were sacrified by cervical dislocation and their pancreas tissue were excised. After
routine tissue process, pancreas were embedded in paraffin. 6 μ section were stained with H-E, Crossman's
tricrome, toluidin blue, Grimelius and aldehyde fuchsin methods and examined by light microscope.
Results: When compared with control group ethanol group showed ducts and widened capillaries in islets of
Langerhans. Vacuolization were detected in islets of Langerhans in both intracellular and extracellular zones.
Alpha cells presented ring like distribution at the periphery of islets of Langerhans in both examined groups of
rats, but ethanol groups showed increased density of granules. In contrast in ethanol group, Beta cells were
localized in the center of the islets and showed decreased density of granules.
Conclusion: We concluded that ethanol has structural damaging effects both directly and indirectly on endocrine
pancreas directly or indirectly.
Key Words: Alcohol, Langerhans Islets, Rat, Microscope.
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