Wheel running prevents the adolescent intermittent ethanol (AIE)-induced loss and somal shrinkage of choline acetyltransferase (ChAT)+IR cholinergic neurons in the basal forebrain of adult male rats.

(A) Modified unbiased stereological assessment revealed a 24% (±4%) reduction of ChAT+IR neurons in the adult (P80) basal forebrain of AIE-treated subjects, relative to CONs. Running wheel exposure from P24 to P80 did not affect ChAT expression in CONs, but did prevent the AIE-induced loss of ChAT+IR neurons, relative to the non-exercising AIE animals. (B) Analysis of ChAT+IR neuron somal size revealed a significant 19% (±3%) reduction in the adult basal forebrain of AIE-treated subjects, relative to CONs. Wheel running did not affect ChAT neuron somal size in CONs, but did prevent the AIE-induced ChAT+IR neuron somal shrinkage in the adult basal forebrain, relative to non-exercising AIE animals. Representative photomicrographs of ChAT+IR neurons in the adult basal forebrain from CON- and AIE-treated animals across exercise conditions. Data are presented as mean ± SEM. * p p < 0.01.