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Topchiy I, Mohbat J, Folorunso OO, Wang ZZ, Lazcano-Etchebarne C, Engin E. GABA system as the cause and effect in early development. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2024; 161:105651. [PMID: 38579901 PMCID: PMC11081854 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2024.105651] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2024] [Revised: 03/05/2024] [Accepted: 04/01/2024] [Indexed: 04/07/2024]
Abstract
GABA is the primary inhibitory neurotransmitter in the adult brain and through its actions on GABAARs, it protects against excitotoxicity and seizure activity, ensures temporal fidelity of neurotransmission, and regulates concerted rhythmic activity of neuronal populations. In the developing brain, the development of GABAergic neurons precedes that of glutamatergic neurons and the GABA system serves as a guide and framework for the development of other brain systems. Despite this early start, the maturation of the GABA system also continues well into the early postnatal period. In this review, we organize evidence around two scenarios based on the essential and protracted nature of GABA system development: 1) disruptions in the development of the GABA system can lead to large scale disruptions in other developmental processes (i.e., GABA as the cause), 2) protracted maturation of this system makes it vulnerable to the effects of developmental insults (i.e., GABA as the effect). While ample evidence supports the importance of GABA/GABAAR system in both scenarios, large gaps in existing knowledge prevent strong mechanistic conclusions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irina Topchiy
- Division of Basic Neuroscience, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA 02478, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Julie Mohbat
- Division of Basic Neuroscience, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA 02478, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA; School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne, Lausanne CH-1015, Switzerland
| | - Oluwarotimi O Folorunso
- Division of Basic Neuroscience, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA 02478, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Ziyi Zephyr Wang
- Division of Basic Neuroscience, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA 02478, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | | | - Elif Engin
- Division of Basic Neuroscience, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA 02478, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA.
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2
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Ruelas M, Medina-Ceja L, Fuentes-Aguilar RQ. A scoping review of the relationship between alcohol, memory consolidation and ripple activity: An overview of common methodologies to analyse ripples. Eur J Neurosci 2023; 58:4137-4154. [PMID: 37827165 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.16168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2022] [Revised: 08/27/2023] [Accepted: 09/26/2023] [Indexed: 10/14/2023]
Abstract
Alcohol abuse is not only responsible for 5.3% of the total deaths in the world but also has a substantial impact on neurological and memory disabilities throughout the population. One extensively studied brain area involved in cognitive functions is the hippocampus. Evidence in several rodent models has shown that ethanol produces cognitive impairment in hippocampal-dependent tasks and that the damage is varied according to the stage of development at which the rodent was exposed to ethanol and the dose. To the authors' knowledge, there is a biomarker for cognitive processes in the hippocampus that remains relatively understudied in association with memory impairment by alcohol administration. This biomarker is called sharp wave-ripples (SWRs) which are synchronous neuronal population events that are well known to be involved in memory consolidation. Methodologies for facilitated or automatic identification of ripples and their analysis have been reported for a wider bandwidth than SWRs. This review is focused on communicating the state of the art about the relationship between alcohol, memory consolidation and ripple activity, as well as the use of the common methodologies to identify SWRs automatically.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina Ruelas
- School of Engineering and Sciences, Tecnológico de Monterrey, Zapopan, Jalisco, Mexico
| | - Laura Medina-Ceja
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology, Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, CUCBA, University of Guadalajara, Zapopan, Jalisco, Mexico
| | - Rita Q Fuentes-Aguilar
- Institute of Advanced Materials for Sustainable Manufacturing, Tecnológico de Monterrey, Zapopan, Jalisco, Mexico
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3
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Woods R, Lorusso J, Fletcher J, ElTaher H, McEwan F, Harris I, Kowash H, D'Souza SW, Harte M, Hager R, Glazier JD. Maternal immune activation and role of placenta in the prenatal programming of neurodevelopmental disorders. Neuronal Signal 2023; 7:NS20220064. [PMID: 37332846 PMCID: PMC10273029 DOI: 10.1042/ns20220064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2023] [Revised: 05/16/2023] [Accepted: 05/17/2023] [Indexed: 06/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Maternal infection during pregnancy, leading to maternal immune activation (mIA) and cytokine release, increases the offspring risk of developing a variety of neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs), including schizophrenia. Animal models have provided evidence to support these mechanistic links, with placental inflammatory responses and dysregulation of placental function implicated. This leads to changes in fetal brain cytokine balance and altered epigenetic regulation of key neurodevelopmental pathways. The prenatal timing of such mIA-evoked changes, and the accompanying fetal developmental responses to an altered in utero environment, will determine the scope of the impacts on neurodevelopmental processes. Such dysregulation can impart enduring neuropathological changes, which manifest subsequently in the postnatal period as altered neurodevelopmental behaviours in the offspring. Hence, elucidation of the functional changes that occur at the molecular level in the placenta is vital in improving our understanding of the mechanisms that underlie the pathogenesis of NDDs. This has notable relevance to the recent COVID-19 pandemic, where inflammatory responses in the placenta to SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy and NDDs in early childhood have been reported. This review presents an integrated overview of these collective topics and describes the possible contribution of prenatal programming through placental effects as an underlying mechanism that links to NDD risk, underpinned by altered epigenetic regulation of neurodevelopmental pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca M. Woods
- Division of Evolution, Infection and Genomics, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PT, U.K
| | - Jarred M. Lorusso
- Division of Evolution, Infection and Genomics, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PT, U.K
| | - Jennifer Fletcher
- Division of Pharmacy and Optometry, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Biology and Health, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PT, U.K
| | - Heidi ElTaher
- Division of Pharmacy and Optometry, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Biology and Health, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PT, U.K
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Alexandria University, Egypt
| | - Francesca McEwan
- Division of Evolution, Infection and Genomics, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PT, U.K
| | - Isabella Harris
- Division of Evolution, Infection and Genomics, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PT, U.K
| | - Hager M. Kowash
- Division of Developmental Biology and Medicine, School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9WL, U.K
| | - Stephen W. D'Souza
- Division of Developmental Biology and Medicine, School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9WL, U.K
| | - Michael Harte
- Division of Pharmacy and Optometry, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Biology and Health, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PT, U.K
| | - Reinmar Hager
- Division of Evolution, Infection and Genomics, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PT, U.K
| | - Jocelyn D. Glazier
- Division of Evolution, Infection and Genomics, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PT, U.K
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4
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Adams JW, Negraes PD, Truong J, Tran T, Szeto RA, Guerra BS, Herai RH, Teodorof-Diedrich C, Spector SA, Del Campo M, Jones KL, Muotri AR, Trujillo CA. Impact of alcohol exposure on neural development and network formation in human cortical organoids. Mol Psychiatry 2023; 28:1571-1584. [PMID: 36385168 PMCID: PMC10208963 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-022-01862-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2021] [Revised: 10/05/2022] [Accepted: 10/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Prenatal alcohol exposure is the foremost preventable etiology of intellectual disability and leads to a collection of diagnoses known as Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD). Alcohol (EtOH) impacts diverse neural cell types and activity, but the precise functional pathophysiological effects on the human fetal cerebral cortex are unclear. Here, we used human cortical organoids to study the effects of EtOH on neurogenesis and validated our findings in primary human fetal neurons. EtOH exposure produced temporally dependent cellular effects on proliferation, cell cycle, and apoptosis. In addition, we identified EtOH-induced alterations in post-translational histone modifications and chromatin accessibility, leading to impairment of cAMP and calcium signaling, glutamatergic synaptic development, and astrocytic function. Proteomic spatial profiling of cortical organoids showed region-specific, EtOH-induced alterations linked to changes in cytoskeleton, gliogenesis, and impaired synaptogenesis. Finally, multi-electrode array electrophysiology recordings confirmed the deleterious impact of EtOH on neural network formation and activity in cortical organoids, which was validated in primary human fetal tissues. Our findings demonstrate progress in defining the human molecular and cellular phenotypic signatures of prenatal alcohol exposure on functional neurodevelopment, increasing our knowledge for potential therapeutic interventions targeting FASD symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason W Adams
- Department of Pediatrics/Rady Children's Hospital, Department of Cellular & Molecular Medicine, University of California San Diego, School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego, School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
- Center for Academic Research and Training in Anthropogeny, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Priscilla D Negraes
- Department of Pediatrics/Rady Children's Hospital, Department of Cellular & Molecular Medicine, University of California San Diego, School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Justin Truong
- Department of Pediatrics/Rady Children's Hospital, Department of Cellular & Molecular Medicine, University of California San Diego, School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Timothy Tran
- Department of Pediatrics/Rady Children's Hospital, Department of Cellular & Molecular Medicine, University of California San Diego, School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Ryan A Szeto
- Department of Pediatrics/Rady Children's Hospital, Department of Cellular & Molecular Medicine, University of California San Diego, School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Bruno S Guerra
- Department of Pediatrics/Rady Children's Hospital, Department of Cellular & Molecular Medicine, University of California San Diego, School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
- Experimental Multiuser Laboratory, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Paraná, Curitiba, PR, 80215-901, Brazil
| | - Roberto H Herai
- Department of Pediatrics/Rady Children's Hospital, Department of Cellular & Molecular Medicine, University of California San Diego, School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
- Experimental Multiuser Laboratory, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Paraná, Curitiba, PR, 80215-901, Brazil
| | - Carmen Teodorof-Diedrich
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Infectious Diseases, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Stephen A Spector
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Infectious Diseases, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Miguel Del Campo
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Dysmorphology and Teratology, University of California, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Kenneth L Jones
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Dysmorphology and Teratology, University of California, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Alysson R Muotri
- Department of Pediatrics/Rady Children's Hospital, Department of Cellular & Molecular Medicine, University of California San Diego, School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA.
- Center for Academic Research and Training in Anthropogeny, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA.
| | - Cleber A Trujillo
- Department of Pediatrics/Rady Children's Hospital, Department of Cellular & Molecular Medicine, University of California San Diego, School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA.
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5
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Haile MT, Khoja S, de Carvalho G, Hunt RF, Chen LY. Conditional deletion of Neurexin-2 alters neuronal network activity in hippocampal circuitries and leads to spontaneous seizures. Transl Psychiatry 2023; 13:97. [PMID: 36941261 PMCID: PMC10027846 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-023-02394-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2022] [Revised: 02/27/2023] [Accepted: 03/02/2023] [Indexed: 03/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Neurexins (Nrxns) have been extensively studied for their role in synapse organization and have been linked to many neuropsychiatric disorders, including autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and epilepsy. However, no studies have provided direct evidence that Nrxns may be the key regulator in the shared pathogenesis of these conditions largely due to complexities among Nrxns and their non-canonical functions in different synapses. Recent studies identified NRXN2 mutations in ASD and epilepsy, but little is known about Nrxn2's role in a circuit-specific manner. Here, we report that conditional deletion of Nrxn2 from the hippocampus and cortex (Nrxn2 cKO) results in behavioral abnormalities, including reduced social preference and increased nestlet shredding behavior. Electrophysiological recordings identified an overall increase in hippocampal CA3→CA1 network activity in Nrxn2 cKO mice. Using intracranial electroencephalogram recordings, we observed unprovoked spontaneous reoccurring electrographic and behavioral seizures in Nrxn2 cKO mice. This study provides the first evidence that conditional deletion of Nrxn2 induces increased network activity that manifests into spontaneous recurrent seizures and behavioral impairments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mulatwa T Haile
- Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
| | - Sheraz Khoja
- Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
| | - Gregory de Carvalho
- Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
| | - Robert F Hunt
- Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
| | - Lulu Y Chen
- Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA.
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6
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Rouzer SK, Gutierrez J, Larin KV, Miranda RC. Alcohol & cannabinoid co-use: Implications for impaired fetal brain development following gestational exposure. Exp Neurol 2023; 361:114318. [PMID: 36627039 PMCID: PMC9892278 DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2023.114318] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2022] [Revised: 12/31/2022] [Accepted: 01/06/2023] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Alcohol and marijuana are two of the most consumed psychoactive substances by pregnant people, and independently, both substances have been associated with lifelong impacts on fetal neurodevelopment. Importantly, individuals of child-bearing age are increasingly engaging in simultaneous alcohol and cannabinoid (SAC) use, which amplifies each drug's pharmacodynamic effects and increases craving for both substances. However, to date, investigations of prenatal polysubstance use are notably limited in both human and non-human populations. In this review paper, we will address what is currently known about combined exposure to these substances, both directly and prenatally, and identify shared prenatal targets from single-exposure paradigms that may highlight susceptible neurobiological mechanisms for future investigation and therapeutic intervention. Finally, we conclude this manuscript by discussing factors that we feel are essential in the consideration and experimental design of future preclinical SAC studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siara Kate Rouzer
- Department of Neuroscience & Experimental Therapeutics, Texas A&M School of Medicine, Bryan, TX 77807, United States.
| | - Jessica Gutierrez
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, United States
| | - Kirill V Larin
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, United States
| | - Rajesh C Miranda
- Department of Neuroscience & Experimental Therapeutics, Texas A&M School of Medicine, Bryan, TX 77807, United States
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7
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Pendry RJ, Quigley LD, Volk LJ, Pfeiffer BE. A novel, lightweight drive implant for chronic tetrode recordings in juvenile mice. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.01.04.522760. [PMID: 36711560 PMCID: PMC9881909 DOI: 10.1101/2023.01.04.522760] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
SHORT ABSTRACT We describe a novel micro-drive design, surgical implantation procedure, and post-surgery recovery strategy that allows for chronic field and single-unit recordings from up to sixteen brain regions simultaneously in juvenile and adolescent mice across a critical developmental window from p20 to p60 and beyond. LONG ABSTRACT In vivo electrophysiology provides unparalleled insight into sub-second-level circuit dynamics of the intact brain and represents a method of particular importance for studying mouse models of human neuro-psychiatric disorders. However, such methods often require large cranial implants which cannot be used in mice at early developmental timepoints. As such, virtually no studies of in vivo physiology have been performed in freely behaving infant or juvenile mice, despite the fact that a better understanding of neurological development in this critical window is likely to provide unique insights into age-dependent developmental disorders such as autism or schizophrenia. Here, we describe a novel micro-drive design, surgical implantation procedure, and post-surgery recovery strategy that allows for chronic field and single-unit recordings from up to sixteen brain regions simultaneously in mice as they age from postnatal day 20 (p20) to postnatal day 60 (p60) and beyond, a time window roughly corresponding to human ages 2-years-old through adult. The number of recording electrodes and final recording sites can be easily modified and expanded, allowing flexible experimental control of in vivo monitoring of behavior- or disease-relevant brain regions across development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert J Pendry
- Department of Neuroscience, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX,Neuroscience Graduate Program, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX
| | - Lilyana D Quigley
- Department of Neuroscience, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX,Neuroscience Graduate Program, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX
| | - Lenora J Volk
- Department of Neuroscience, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX,O’Donnell Brain Institute, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX,Department of Psychiatry, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX
| | - Brad E Pfeiffer
- Department of Neuroscience, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX,O’Donnell Brain Institute, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX
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8
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Oubraim S, Wang R, Hausknecht K, Kaczocha M, Shen RY, Haj-Dahmane S. Prenatal ethanol exposure causes anxiety-like phenotype and alters synaptic nitric oxide and endocannabinoid signaling in dorsal raphe nucleus of adult male rats. Transl Psychiatry 2022; 12:440. [PMID: 36216807 PMCID: PMC9550821 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-022-02210-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2022] [Revised: 09/21/2022] [Accepted: 09/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Mood disorders, including anxiety and depression caused by prenatal ethanol exposure (PE) are prevalent conditions in fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs). Prenatal ethanol exposure is associated with persistent dysfunctions of several neurotransmitter systems, including the serotonin (5-HT) system, which plays a major role in mood regulation and stress homeostasis. While PE is known to disrupt the development of the 5-HT system, the cellular mechanisms by which it alters the function of dorsal raphe nucleus (DRn) 5-HT neurons and their synaptic inputs remain unknown. Here, we used a second-trimester binge-drinking pattern PE (two daily gavages of 15% w/v ethanol at 3 g/kg, 5-6 h apart) during gestational days 8 - 20 and measured anxiety-like behaviors of adult male rats using the elevated plus (EPM) and zero (ZM) mazes. We also employed ex-vivo electrophysiological and pharmacological approaches to unravel the mechanisms by which PE alters the excitability and synaptic transmission onto DRn 5-HT neurons. We found that PE enhanced anxiety-like behaviors in adult male rats and induced a persistent activation of DRn 5-HT neurons. The PE-induced activation of DRn 5-HT neurons was largely mediated by potentiation of DRn glutamate synapses, which was caused by activation of the nitrergic system and impaired endocannabinoid signaling. As such, the present study reveals "push-pull" effects of PE on nitrergic and eCB signaling, respectively, which mediate the enhanced activity of DRn 5-HT neurons and could contribute to anxiety-like behaviors observed in animal model of FASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saida Oubraim
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, State University of New York, 1021 Main Street, Buffalo, NY, 14203, USA
| | - Ruixiang Wang
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, State University of New York, 1021 Main Street, Buffalo, NY, 14203, USA
| | - Kathryn Hausknecht
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, State University of New York, 1021 Main Street, Buffalo, NY, 14203, USA
| | - Martin Kaczocha
- Department of Anesthesiology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, 11794, USA
| | - Roh-Yu Shen
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, State University of New York, 1021 Main Street, Buffalo, NY, 14203, USA
- University at Buffalo Neuroscience Program, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, 1021 Main Street, Buffalo, NY, 14203, USA
| | - Samir Haj-Dahmane
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, State University of New York, 1021 Main Street, Buffalo, NY, 14203, USA.
- University at Buffalo Neuroscience Program, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, 1021 Main Street, Buffalo, NY, 14203, USA.
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Lee J, Naik V, Orzabal M, Lunde-Young R, Ramadoss J. Morphological alteration in rat hippocampal neuronal dendrites following chronic binge prenatal alcohol exposure. Brain Res 2021; 1768:147587. [PMID: 34297994 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2021.147587] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2021] [Revised: 06/15/2021] [Accepted: 07/16/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) may result in Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD). The hippocampus has been recognized as a vulnerable target to alcohol-induced developmental damage. However, the effect of prenatal exposure to alcohol on dendritic morphological adaptations throughout the hippocampal fields in the developing brain still remains largely unknown in the context of FASD. We hypothesized that chronic binge alcohol exposure during pregnancy alters dendrite arborization throughout the developing rat hippocampus. Pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats were assigned to either a pair-fed control (PF-Cont) or a binge alcohol (Alcohol) treatment group. Alcohol dams were acclimatized via a once-daily orogastric gavage of 4.5 g/kg alcohol from gestational day (GD) 5-10 and progressed to 6 g/kg alcohol from GD 11-21. Pair-fed dams similarly received isocaloric maltose dextrin. After parturition, all dams received an ad libitum diet and nursed their offspring until postnatal day (PND) 10 when the pup brains were collected for morphological analysis. PAE increased dendritic arborization and complexities of CA1, CA2/3, and DG neurons in the PND 10 rat hippocampus. The number of primary dendrites, total dendritic length, and number of dendritic branches were significantly increased following PAE, and Sholl analysis revealed significantly more intersections of the dendritic processes in PND 10 offspring following PAE compared with those in the PF-Cont group. We conclude that chronic binge PAE significantly alters hippocampal dendritic morphology in the developing hippocampus. We conjecture that this morphological alteration in postnatal rat hippocampal dendrites following chronic binge prenatal alcohol exposure may play a critical role in FASD neurobiological phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jehoon Lee
- Department of Veterinary Physiology and Pharmacology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | - Vishal Naik
- Department of Veterinary Physiology and Pharmacology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | - Marcus Orzabal
- Department of Veterinary Physiology and Pharmacology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | - Raine Lunde-Young
- Department of Veterinary Physiology and Pharmacology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | - Jayanth Ramadoss
- Department of Veterinary Physiology and Pharmacology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA.
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10
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Arzua T, Yan Y, Jiang C, Logan S, Allison RL, Wells C, Kumar SN, Schäfer R, Bai X. Modeling alcohol-induced neurotoxicity using human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived three-dimensional cerebral organoids. Transl Psychiatry 2020; 10:347. [PMID: 33051447 PMCID: PMC7553959 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-020-01029-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2020] [Revised: 09/11/2020] [Accepted: 09/22/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Maternal alcohol exposure during pregnancy can substantially impact the development of the fetus, causing a range of symptoms, known as fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs), such as cognitive dysfunction and psychiatric disorders, with the pathophysiology and mechanisms largely unknown. Recently developed human cerebral organoids from induced pluripotent stem cells are similar to fetal brains in the aspects of development and structure. These models allow more relevant in vitro systems to be developed for studying FASDs than animal models. Modeling binge drinking using human cerebral organoids, we sought to quantify the downstream toxic effects of alcohol (ethanol) on neural pathology phenotypes and signaling pathways within the organoids. The results revealed that alcohol exposure resulted in unhealthy organoids at cellular, subcellular, bioenergetic metabolism, and gene expression levels. Alcohol induced apoptosis on organoids. The apoptotic effects of alcohol on the organoids depended on the alcohol concentration and varied between cell types. Specifically, neurons were more vulnerable to alcohol-induced apoptosis than astrocytes. The alcohol-treated organoids exhibit ultrastructural changes such as disruption of mitochondria cristae, decreased intensity of mitochondrial matrix, and disorganized cytoskeleton. Alcohol exposure also resulted in mitochondrial dysfunction and metabolic stress in the organoids as evidenced by (1) decreased mitochondrial oxygen consumption rates being linked to basal respiration, ATP production, proton leak, maximal respiration and spare respiratory capacity, and (2) increase of non-mitochondrial respiration in alcohol-treated organoids compared with control groups. Furthermore, we found that alcohol treatment affected the expression of 199 genes out of 17,195 genes analyzed. Bioinformatic analyses showed the association of these dysregulated genes with 37 pathways related to clinically relevant pathologies such as psychiatric disorders, behavior, nervous system development and function, organismal injury and abnormalities, and cellular development. Notably, 187 of these genes are critically involved in neurodevelopment, and/or implicated in nervous system physiology and neurodegeneration. Furthermore, the identified genes are key regulators of multiple pathways linked in networks. This study extends for the first time animal models of binge drinking-related FASDs to a human model, allowing in-depth analyses of neurotoxicity at tissue, cellular, subcellular, metabolism, and gene levels. Hereby, we provide novel insights into alcohol-induced pathologic phenotypes, cell type-specific vulnerability, and affected signaling pathways and molecular networks, that can contribute to a better understanding of the developmental neurotoxic effects of binge drinking during pregnancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thiago Arzua
- Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology & Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, 53226, WI, USA
- Department of Physiology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, 53226, WI, USA
| | - Yasheng Yan
- Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology & Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, 53226, WI, USA
| | - Congshan Jiang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, 53226, WI, USA
| | - Sarah Logan
- Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology & Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, 53226, WI, USA
- Department of Physiology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, 53226, WI, USA
| | - Reilly L Allison
- Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology & Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, 53226, WI, USA
| | - Clive Wells
- Department of Microbiology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, 53226, WI, USA
| | - Suresh N Kumar
- Department of Pathology, Children's Research Institute Imaging Core, Neuroscience Imaging Facility, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, 53226, WI, USA
| | - Richard Schäfer
- Institute for Transfusion Medicine and Immunohaematology, German Red Cross Blood Donor Service Baden-Württemberg-Hessen gGmbH, Goethe University Hospital, 60438, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Xiaowen Bai
- Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology & Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, 53226, WI, USA.
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11
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Lee J, Lunde-Young R, Naik V, Ramirez J, Orzabal M, Ramadoss J. Chronic Binge Alcohol Exposure During Pregnancy Alters mTOR System in Rat Fetal Hippocampus. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2020; 44:1329-1336. [PMID: 32333810 DOI: 10.1111/acer.14348] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2019] [Revised: 04/10/2020] [Accepted: 04/19/2020] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Gestational alcohol exposure can contribute to fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD), an array of cognitive, behavioral, and physical developmental impairments. Mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) plays a key role in regulating protein synthesis in response to neuronal activity, thereby modulating synaptic plasticity and long-term memory formation in the brain. Based on our previous quantitative mass spectrometry proteomic studies, we hypothesized that gestational chronic binge alcohol exposure alters mTOR signaling and downstream pathways in the fetal hippocampus. METHODS Pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats were assigned to either a pair-fed control (PF-Cont) or a binge alcohol (Alcohol) treatment group. Alcohol dams were acclimatized via a once-daily orogastric gavage of 4.5 g/kg alcohol (peak BAC, 216 mg/dl) from GD 5-10 and progressed to 6 g/kg alcohol (peak BAC, 289 mg/dl) from GD 11-21. Pair-fed dams similarly received isocaloric maltose dextrin. RESULTS In the Alcohol group, following this exposure paradigm, fetal body weight and crown-rump length were decreased. The phosphorylation level of mTOR (P-mTOR) in the fetal hippocampus was decreased in the Alcohol group compared with controls. Alcohol exposure resulted in dysregulation of fetal hippocampal mTORC1 signaling, as evidenced by an increase in total 4E-BP1 expression. Phosphorylation levels of 4E-BP1 and p70 S6K were also increased following alcohol exposure. P-mTOR and P-4E-BP1 were exclusively detected in the dentate gyrus and oriens layer of the fetal hippocampus, respectively. DEPTOR and RICTOR expression levels in the fetal hippocampus were increased; however, RAPTOR was not altered by chronic binge alcohol exposure. CONCLUSION We conclude that chronic binge alcohol exposure during pregnancy alters mTORC1 signaling pathway in the fetal hippocampus. We conjecture that this dysregulation of mTOR protein expression, its activity, and downstream proteins may play a critical role in FASD neurobiological phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jehoon Lee
- From the, Department of Veterinary Physiology and Pharmacology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
| | - Raine Lunde-Young
- From the, Department of Veterinary Physiology and Pharmacology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
| | - Vishal Naik
- From the, Department of Veterinary Physiology and Pharmacology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
| | - Josue Ramirez
- From the, Department of Veterinary Physiology and Pharmacology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
| | - Marcus Orzabal
- From the, Department of Veterinary Physiology and Pharmacology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
| | - Jayanth Ramadoss
- From the, Department of Veterinary Physiology and Pharmacology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
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12
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Shuffrey LC, Myers MM, Isler JR, Lucchini M, Sania A, Pini N, Nugent JD, Condon C, Ochoa T, Brink L, du Plessis C, Odendaal HJ, Nelson ME, Friedrich C, Angal J, Elliott AJ, Groenewald C, Burd L, Fifer WP. Association Between Prenatal Exposure to Alcohol and Tobacco and Neonatal Brain Activity: Results From the Safe Passage Study. JAMA Netw Open 2020; 3:e204714. [PMID: 32396193 PMCID: PMC7218492 DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.4714] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Research to date has not determined a safe level of alcohol or tobacco use during pregnancy. Electroencephalography (EEG) is a noninvasive measure of cortical function that has previously been used to examine effects of in utero exposures and associations with neurodevelopment. OBJECTIVE To examine the association of prenatal exposure to alcohol (PAE) and tobacco smoking (PTE) with brain activity in newborns. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS This prospective cohort study enrolled mother-newborn dyads from December 2011 through August 2015, with data analyzed from June 2018 through June 2019. Pregnant women were recruited from clinical sites in Cape Town, South Africa, and the Northern Plains region of the US. Participants were a subset of newborns enrolled in the Safe Passage Study. Exclusions included birth at less than 37 or more than 41 weeks' gestation, multiple birth, or maternal use of psychiatric medication during pregnancy. EXPOSURES PAE and PTE groups were determined by cluster analysis. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Analyses of covariance were run on EEG spectral power at 12 scalp locations across the frequency spectrum from 1 to 45 Hz in 3-Hz bins by sleep state. RESULTS The final sample consisted of 1739 newborns (median [interquartile range] gestational age at birth, 39.29 [1.57] weeks; 886 [50.9%] were female; median [interquartile range] newborn age at assessment, 48.53 [44.96] hours). Newborns whose mothers were in the low continuous (95% CI, -0.379 to -0.031; P < .05; 95% CI, -0.379 to -0.045; P < .05), quit (95% CI, -0.419 to -0.127; P < .001; 95% CI, -0.398 to -0.106; P < .005), and moderate or high continuous (95% CI, -0.430 to -0.124; P < .001; 95% CI, -0.420 to -0.119; P < .005) PAE clusters had increased 4- to 6-Hz and 7- to 9-Hz left-temporal EEG power. Newborns with moderate or high continuous PTE had decreased 19- to 21-Hz (95% CI, 0.034 to 0.327; P < .05) and 22- to 24-Hz (95% CI, 0.022 to 0.316; P < .05) right-central EEG compared with newborns with no PTE. Newborns with moderate or high continuous PTE had significantly decreased 22- to 36-Hz right-central EEG power compared with the quit smoking group (22-24 Hz, 95% CI, 0.001 to 0.579; P < .05; 25-27 Hz, 95% CI, 0.008 to 0.586; P < .05; 28-30 Hz, 95% CI, 0.028 to 0.607; P < .05; 31-33 Hz, 95% CI, 0.038 to 0.617; P < .05; 34-36 Hz, 95% CI, 0.057 to 0.636; P < .05). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE These findings suggest that even low levels of PAE or PTE are associated with changes in offspring brain development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren C. Shuffrey
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York
- Division of Developmental Neuroscience, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, New York
| | - Michael M. Myers
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York
- Division of Developmental Neuroscience, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, New York
- Department of Pediatrics, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York
| | - Joseph R. Isler
- Department of Pediatrics, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York
| | - Maristella Lucchini
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York
- Division of Developmental Neuroscience, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, New York
| | - Ayesha Sania
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York
| | - Nicolò Pini
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York
- Division of Developmental Neuroscience, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, New York
| | - J. David Nugent
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York
- Division of Developmental Neuroscience, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, New York
| | - Carmen Condon
- Division of Developmental Neuroscience, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, New York
| | - Timothy Ochoa
- Division of Developmental Neuroscience, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, New York
| | - Lucy Brink
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Science, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa
| | - Carlie du Plessis
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Science, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa
| | - Hein J. Odendaal
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Science, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa
| | - Morgan E. Nelson
- Center for Pediatric & Community Research, Avera Research Institute, Sioux Falls, South Dakota
- Department of Pediatrics, University of South Dakota School of Medicine, Sioux Falls
| | - Christa Friedrich
- Center for Pediatric & Community Research, Avera Research Institute, Sioux Falls, South Dakota
- Department of Pediatrics, University of South Dakota School of Medicine, Sioux Falls
| | - Jyoti Angal
- Center for Pediatric & Community Research, Avera Research Institute, Sioux Falls, South Dakota
- Department of Pediatrics, University of South Dakota School of Medicine, Sioux Falls
| | - Amy J. Elliott
- Center for Pediatric & Community Research, Avera Research Institute, Sioux Falls, South Dakota
- Department of Pediatrics, University of South Dakota School of Medicine, Sioux Falls
| | - Coen Groenewald
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Science, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa
| | - Larry Burd
- Department of Pediatrics, University of North Dakota Medical School, Grand Forks
| | - William P. Fifer
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York
- Division of Developmental Neuroscience, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, New York
- Department of Pediatrics, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York
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13
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Harvey RE, Berkowitz LE, Hamilton DA, Clark BJ. The effects of developmental alcohol exposure on the neurobiology of spatial processing. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2019; 107:775-794. [PMID: 31526818 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2019.09.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2019] [Revised: 08/02/2019] [Accepted: 09/11/2019] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
The consumption of alcohol during gestation is detrimental to the developing central nervous system. One functional outcome of this exposure is impaired spatial processing, defined as sensing and integrating information pertaining to spatial navigation and spatial memory. The hippocampus, entorhinal cortex, and anterior thalamus are brain regions implicated in spatial processing and are highly susceptible to the effects of developmental alcohol exposure. Some of the observed effects of alcohol on spatial processing may be attributed to changes at the synaptic to circuit level. In this review, we first describe the impact of developmental alcohol exposure on spatial behavior followed by a summary of the development of brain areas involved in spatial processing. We then provide an examination of the consequences of prenatal and early postnatal alcohol exposure in rodents on hippocampal, anterior thalamus, and entorhinal cortex-dependent spatial processing from the cellular to behavioral level. We conclude by highlighting several unanswered questions which may provide a framework for future investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan E Harvey
- Department of Psychology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, United States
| | - Laura E Berkowitz
- Department of Psychology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, United States
| | - Derek A Hamilton
- Department of Psychology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, United States
| | - Benjamin J Clark
- Department of Psychology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, United States.
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14
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Cho SJ, Lovinger DM, N'Gouemo P. Prenatal alcohol exposure enhances the susceptibility to NMDA-induced generalized tonic-clonic seizures in developing rats. CNS Neurosci Ther 2018; 23:808-817. [PMID: 28884976 DOI: 10.1111/cns.12756] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2017] [Revised: 07/25/2017] [Accepted: 08/18/2017] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
AIMS Prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) is associated with a higher likelihood of developing generalized tonic-clonic seizures (GTCS) in infants and children. However, experimental studies of PAE-related seizures have yielded conflicting results. Here, we investigated the effect of acute PAE on N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA)-induced seizures in developing rats. METHODS Pregnant Sprague Dawley rats were given an oral dose of either ethanol (5 g/kg body weight) or vehicle on embryonic day 18. The offspring were tested for susceptibility to NMDA-induced seizures on postnatal day 7 (P7), 21 (P21), 35 (P35), and 42 (P42). Specifically, the prevalence and latency of NMDA-induced continuous wild running-like behaviors (CWR), flexion seizures (FS), wild running seizures (WRS), GTCS, and tonic seizures (TS) were recorded and analyzed. RESULTS N-methyl-D-aspartate-induced seizures consisted of CWR, FS, GTCS, and TS in <P21 rats, while WRS, GTCS, and TS were observed in >P21 rats. Thus, GTCS were consistently observed during development. PAE significantly increases the prevalence of GTCS in female and male P7-P21 rats and P7-P35 rats, respectively, but not in older rats. PAE also increases the prevalence of TS in male, but not female P21-P35 rats. CONCLUSIONS The PAE animal model of GTCS may provide a new opportunity to investigate the mechanisms that underlie neuronal hyperexcitability in developing animals prenatally-exposed to alcohol.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sue J Cho
- Department of Pediatrics, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC, USA
| | - David M Lovinger
- Laboratory for Integrative Neuroscience, Section on Synaptic Pharmacology, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - Prosper N'Gouemo
- Department of Pediatrics, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC, USA
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15
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Lu J, Jiao Z, Yu Y, Zhang C, He X, Li Q, Xu D, Wang H. Programming for increased expression of hippocampal GAD67 mediated the hypersensitivity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis in male offspring rats with prenatal ethanol exposure. Cell Death Dis 2018; 9:659. [PMID: 29855476 PMCID: PMC5981620 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-018-0663-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2017] [Revised: 03/28/2018] [Accepted: 04/26/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
An imbalance of excitatory and inhibitory signals in the brain has been proposed to be one of the main pathological features of various diseases related to hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPAA) dysfunction. Excessive glutamate release induces neuronal excitotoxicity, while glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD) 67 promotes the transformation of excessive glutamate to γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA). Our previous studies demonstrated that prenatal ethanol exposure (PEE) causes foetal over-exposure to maternal corticosterone and hypersensitivity of the HPAA after birth, but its intrauterine programming mechanism is unknown. In this study, PEE was shown to lead to an enhanced potential excitatory ability of the hypothalamus and hypersensitivity of the HPAA, as well as mild abnormal hippocampal morphology, demethylation of the -1019 to -691-bp region in the hippocampal GAD67 promoter and upregulation of GAD67 expression accompanied by a reduction in glutamatergic neurons and increase in GABAergic neurons in PEE male offspring. Similar changes were also found in PEE male foetal rats. Furthermore, corticosterone increased the expression of the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) and GAD67 in foetal hippocampal H19-7 cells in a concentration-dependent manner, accompanied by demethylation of the GAD67 promoter, a decrease in glutamatergic neurons and increase in GABAergic neurons. The GR inhibitor, mifepristone, reversed the effects of corticosterone on H19-7 cells. These results suggested that PEE-induced excessive corticosterone can lead to upregulation of GAD67 through epigenetic modification mediated by the GR in the male foetal hippocampus, thereby weakening the negative regulation of the HPAA by the hippocampus and increasing the potential excitatory ability of the hypothalamus. These changes persisted until after birth, resulting in hypersensitivity of the HPAA. However, gender differences were observed in the hippocampal development, morphology and GAD67 expression associated with PEE. Programming for the increased expression of hippocampal GAD67 is a potential mechanism responsible for the hypersensitivity of the HPAA in PEE male rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Lu
- Department of Pharmacology, Basic Medical School of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China.,Gansu provincial hospital of TCM Affiliated to Gansu University of Chinese Medicine, Gansu, 730050, China
| | - Zhexiao Jiao
- Department of Pharmacology, Basic Medical School of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China
| | - Ying Yu
- Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory of Developmentally Originated Disease, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China.,Department of Neurology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430060, China
| | - Chong Zhang
- Department of Pharmacology, Basic Medical School of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China
| | - Xia He
- Department of Pharmacology, Basic Medical School of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China
| | - Qiang Li
- Gansu provincial hospital of TCM Affiliated to Gansu University of Chinese Medicine, Gansu, 730050, China
| | - Dan Xu
- Department of Pharmacology, Basic Medical School of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China. .,Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory of Developmentally Originated Disease, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China.
| | - Hui Wang
- Department of Pharmacology, Basic Medical School of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China. .,Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory of Developmentally Originated Disease, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China.
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16
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Wang K, Chen X, Liu J, Zou LP, Feng W, Cai L, Wu X, Chen SY. Embryonic exposure to ethanol increases the susceptibility of larval zebrafish to chemically induced seizures. Sci Rep 2018; 8:1845. [PMID: 29382872 PMCID: PMC5789864 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-20288-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2017] [Accepted: 01/16/2018] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Prenatal ethanol exposure is known to cause neurodevelopmental disorders. While high prevalence of epilepsy is observed among the children whose mothers abused alcohol during pregnancy, the results from animal studies are conflicting. Here, we investigated whether embryonic exposure to ethanol can increase the susceptibility to pentylenetetrazole (PTZ)-induced seizures in larval zebrafish. Embryos at 3 hours post-fertilization (hpf) were exposed to ethanol at the concentrations ranging from 0.25% to 1% for 21 hours. Control and ethanol-exposed larvae were challenged with PTZ at 7 days post-fertilization (dpf) at the concentrations of 2.5, 5 or 15 mM. The seizure behavior of larvae was recorded and analyzed using EthoVision XT 11. We found that embryonic ethanol exposure increased the percentage of larvae exhibiting typical stage II and III seizure and resulted in a significant reduction in stage I, II and III seizure latency in an ethanol concentration-dependent manner. Embryonic exposure to ethanol also significantly increased the severity of PTZ-induced seizures in larvae, as demonstrated by increased total distance traveled and the duration of mobility. This is the first demonstration that ethanol exposure during early embryonic stage can reduce the threshold for chemically induced seizures and increase the severity of seizure behavior in larval fish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keling Wang
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Alcohol Research Center, University of Louisville Health Science Center, Louisville, KY, 40292, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, 100853, China
| | - Xiaopan Chen
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Alcohol Research Center, University of Louisville Health Science Center, Louisville, KY, 40292, USA.,Department of Reproductive Endocrinology, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital, 158 Shangtang Road, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310014, China
| | - Jie Liu
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Alcohol Research Center, University of Louisville Health Science Center, Louisville, KY, 40292, USA
| | - Li-Ping Zou
- Department of Pediatrics, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, 100853, China
| | - Wenke Feng
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Alcohol Research Center, University of Louisville Health Science Center, Louisville, KY, 40292, USA.,Department of Medicine, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, 40292, USA
| | - Lu Cai
- Pediatric Research Institute, Department of Pediatrics, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, 40202, USA
| | - Xiaoyang Wu
- Ben May Department for Cancer Research, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA
| | - Shao-Yu Chen
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Alcohol Research Center, University of Louisville Health Science Center, Louisville, KY, 40292, USA.
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17
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Cunningham LA, Newville J, Li L, Tapia P, Allan AM, Valenzuela CF. Prenatal Alcohol Exposure Leads to Enhanced Serine 9 Phosphorylation of Glycogen Synthase Kinase-3β (GSK-3β) in the Hippocampal Dentate Gyrus of Adult Mouse. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2017; 41:1907-1916. [PMID: 28865114 DOI: 10.1111/acer.13489] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2017] [Accepted: 08/25/2017] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The goal of this study was to evaluate the expression and serine 9 phosphorylation of glycogen synthase kinase (GSK-3β) within the adult hippocampal dentate gyrus (DG) in a preclinical mouse model of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders. GSK-3β is a multifunctional kinase that modulates many hippocampal processes affected by gestational alcohol, including synaptic plasticity and adult neurogenesis. GSK-3β is a constitutively active kinase that is negatively regulated by phosphorylation at the serine 9 residue. METHODS We utilized a well-characterized limited access "drinking-in-the-dark" paradigm of prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) and measured p(Ser9)GSK-3β and total GSK-3β within adult DG by Western blot analysis. In addition, we evaluated the expression pattern of both p(Ser9)GSK-3β and total GSK-3β within the adult hippocampal dentate of PAE and control mice using high-resolution confocal microscopy. RESULTS Our findings demonstrate a marked 2.0-fold elevation of p(Ser9)GSK-3β in PAE mice, concomitant with a more moderate 36% increase in total GSK-3β. This resulted in an approximate 63% increase in the p(Ser9)GSK-3β/GSK-3β ratio. Immunostaining revealed robust GSK-3β expression within Cornu Ammonis (CA) pyramidal neurons, hilar mossy cells, and a subset of GABAergic interneurons, with low levels of expression within hippocampal progenitors and dentate granule cells. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that PAE may lead to a long-term disruption of GSK-3β signaling within the DG, and implicate mossy cells, GABAergic interneurons, and CA primary neurons as major targets of this dysregulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lee Anna Cunningham
- Department of Neurosciences, (LAC, JN, LL, PT, AMA, CFV), University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM
| | - Jessie Newville
- Department of Neurosciences, (LAC, JN, LL, PT, AMA, CFV), University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM
| | - Lu Li
- Department of Neurosciences, (LAC, JN, LL, PT, AMA, CFV), University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM
| | - Phillip Tapia
- Department of Neurosciences, (LAC, JN, LL, PT, AMA, CFV), University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM
| | - Andrea M Allan
- Department of Neurosciences, (LAC, JN, LL, PT, AMA, CFV), University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM
| | - C Fernando Valenzuela
- Department of Neurosciences, (LAC, JN, LL, PT, AMA, CFV), University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM
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18
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Enhanced Excitability of the Neonatal Rat Hippocampus After Acute Exposure to Ethanol. BIONANOSCIENCE 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s12668-016-0321-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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19
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Zakharov A, Lotfullina N, Khazipov R. Impairments to the Giant Depolarizing Potentials After the Third Trimester Equivalent Ethanol Exposure in the Neonatal Rat. BIONANOSCIENCE 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s12668-016-0277-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
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