Alcohol-Induced Alterations in the Vascular Basement Membrane in the of the Adult Human Brain.

The blood-brain barrier (BBB) represents a highly specialized interface that acts as the first line of defense against toxins. Herein, we investigated the structural and ultrastructural changes in the basement membrane (BM), which is responsible for maintaining the integrity of the BBB, in the context of chronic alcoholism. Human post-mortem tissues from the (SN) region were obtained from 44 individuals, then grouped into controls, age-matched alcoholics, and non-age-matched alcoholics and assessed using light and electron microscopy.

Chronic Alcoholism and HHV-6 Infection Synergistically Promote Neuroinflammatory Microglial Phenotypes in the of the Adult Human Brain.

Both chronic alcoholism and human herpesvirus-6 (HHV-6) infection have been identified as promoters of neuroinflammation and known to cause movement-related disorders. (SN), the dopaminergic neuron-rich region of the basal ganglia, is involved in regulating motor function and the reward system. Hence, we hypothesize the presence of possible synergism between alcoholism and HHV-6 infection in the SN region and report a comprehensive quantification and characterization of microglial functions and morphology in postmortem brain tissue from 44 healthy, age-matched alcoholics and chronic alcoholics.