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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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Preclinical methodological approaches investigating of the effects of alcohol on perinatal and adolescent neurodevelopment. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2020; 116:436-451. [PMID: 32681938 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.07.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2018] [Revised: 06/02/2020] [Accepted: 07/13/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Despite much evidence of its economic and social costs, alcohol use continues to increase. Much remains to be known as to the effects of alcohol on neurodevelopment across the lifespan and in both sexes. We provide a comprehensive overview of the methodological approaches to ethanol administration when using animal models (primarily rodent models) and their translational relevance, as well as some of the advantages and disadvantages of each approach. Special consideration is given to early developmental periods (prenatal through adolescence), as well as to the types of research questions that are best addressed by specific methodologies. The zebrafish is used increasingly in alcohol research, and how to use this model effectively as a preclinical model is reviewed as well.
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Muñoz-Villegas P, Rodríguez VM, Giordano M, Juárez J. Risk-taking, locomotor activity and dopamine levels in the nucleus accumbens and medial prefrontal cortex in male rats treated prenatally with alcohol. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2017; 153:88-96. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2016.12.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2016] [Revised: 12/13/2016] [Accepted: 12/19/2016] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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Developmental Ethanol Exposure Leads to Long-Term Deficits in Attention and Its Underlying Prefrontal Circuitry. eNeuro 2016; 3:eN-NWR-0267-16. [PMID: 27844059 PMCID: PMC5099605 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0267-16.2016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2016] [Revised: 10/18/2016] [Accepted: 10/22/2016] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic prenatal exposure to ethanol can lead to a spectrum of teratogenic outcomes that are classified in humans as fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD). One of the most prevalent and persistent neurocognitive components of FASD is attention deficits, and it is now thought that these attention deficits differ from traditional attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in their quality and response to medication. However, the neuronal mechanisms underlying attention deficits in FASD are not well understood. We show here that after developmental binge-pattern ethanol exposure, adult mice exhibit impaired performance on the five-choice serial reaction time test for visual attention, with lower accuracy during initial training and a higher rate of omissions under challenging conditions of high attention demand. Whole-cell electrophysiology experiments in these same mice find dysregulated pyramidal neurons in layer VI of the medial prefrontal cortex, which are critical for normal attention performance. Layer VI neurons show decreased intrinsic excitability and increased responses to stimulation of both nicotinic acetylcholine receptors and α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA) glutamate receptors. Moreover, although nicotinic acetylcholine responses correlate with performance on the five-choice task in control mice, these relationships are completely disrupted in mice exposed to ethanol during development. These findings demonstrate a novel outcome of developmental binge-pattern ethanol exposure and suggest that persistent alterations to the function of prefrontal layer VI neurons play an important mechanistic role in attention deficits associated with FASD.
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Kable JA, O'Connor MJ, Olson HC, Paley B, Mattson SN, Anderson SM, Riley EP. Neurobehavioral Disorder Associated with Prenatal Alcohol Exposure (ND-PAE): Proposed DSM-5 Diagnosis. Child Psychiatry Hum Dev 2016. [PMID: 26202432 DOI: 10.1007/s10578-015-0566-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Over the past 40 years, a significant body of animal and human research has documented the teratogenic effects of prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE). Neurobehavioral Disorder associated with PAE is proposed as a new clarifying term, intended to encompass the neurodevelopmental and mental health symptoms associated with PAE. Defining this disorder is a necessary step to adequately characterize these symptoms and allow clinical assessment not possible using existing physically-based diagnostic schemes. Without appropriate diagnostic guidelines, affected individuals are frequently misdiagnosed and treated inappropriately (often to their considerable detriment) by mental health, educational, and criminal justice systems. Three core areas of deficits identified from the available research, including neurocognitive, self-regulation, and adaptive functioning impairments, are discussed and information regarding associated features and disorders, prevalence, course, familial patterns, differential diagnosis, and treatment of the proposed disorder are also provided.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie A Kable
- Departments of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, 30329, USA.
| | - Mary J O'Connor
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Heather Carmichael Olson
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Blair Paley
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Sarah N Mattson
- Department of Psychology, Center for Behavioral Teratology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, 92120, USA
| | - Sally M Anderson
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Bethesda, MA, USA
| | - Edward P Riley
- Department of Psychology, Center for Behavioral Teratology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, 92120, USA
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Migliorini R, Moore EM, Glass L, Infante MA, Tapert SF, Jones KL, Mattson SN, Riley EP. Anterior cingulate cortex surface area relates to behavioral inhibition in adolescents with and without heavy prenatal alcohol exposure. Behav Brain Res 2015; 292:26-35. [PMID: 26025509 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2015.05.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2014] [Revised: 04/28/2015] [Accepted: 05/22/2015] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Prenatal alcohol exposure is associated with behavioral disinhibition, yet the brain structure correlates of this deficit have not been determined with sufficient detail. We examined the hypothesis that the structure of the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) relates to inhibition performance in youth with histories of heavy prenatal alcohol exposure (AE, n = 32) and non-exposed controls (CON, n = 21). Adolescents (12-17 years) underwent structural magnetic resonance imaging yielding measures of gray matter volume, surface area, and thickness across four ACC subregions. A subset of subjects were administered the NEPSY-II Inhibition subtest. MANCOVA was utilized to test for group differences in ACC and inhibition performance and multiple linear regression was used to probe ACC-inhibition relationships. ACC surface area was significantly smaller in AE, though this effect was primarily driven by reduced right caudal ACC (rcACC). AE also performed significantly worse on inhibition speed but not on inhibition accuracy. Regression analyses with the rcACC revealed a significant group × ACC interaction. A smaller rcACC surface area was associated with slower inhibition completion time for AE but was not significantly associated with inhibition in CON. After accounting for processing speed, smaller rcACC surface area was associated with worse (i.e., slower) inhibition regardless of group. Examining processing speed independently, a decrease in rcACC surface area was associated with faster processing speed for CON but not significantly associated with processing speed in AE. Results support the theory that caudal ACC may monitor reaction time in addition to inhibition and highlight the possibility of delayed ACC neurodevelopment in prenatal alcohol exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robyn Migliorini
- Center for Behavioral Teratology, Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, 6330 Alvarado Court, Suite 100, San Diego, CA 92120, USA; San Diego State University/University of California, San Diego Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology, 6363 Alvarado Court, Suite 103, San Diego, CA 92120-4913, USA.
| | - Eileen M Moore
- Center for Behavioral Teratology, Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, 6330 Alvarado Court, Suite 100, San Diego, CA 92120, USA
| | - Leila Glass
- Center for Behavioral Teratology, Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, 6330 Alvarado Court, Suite 100, San Diego, CA 92120, USA; San Diego State University/University of California, San Diego Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology, 6363 Alvarado Court, Suite 103, San Diego, CA 92120-4913, USA
| | - M Alejandra Infante
- Center for Behavioral Teratology, Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, 6330 Alvarado Court, Suite 100, San Diego, CA 92120, USA; San Diego State University/University of California, San Diego Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology, 6363 Alvarado Court, Suite 103, San Diego, CA 92120-4913, USA
| | - Susan F Tapert
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Dr., San Diego, CA 92037, USA; VA San Diego Healthcare System, 3350 La Jolla Village Drive, San Diego, CA 92161, USA
| | - Kenneth Lyons Jones
- University of California, San Diego, School of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, 9500 Gilman Drive, San Diego, CA 92093, USA
| | - Sarah N Mattson
- Center for Behavioral Teratology, Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, 6330 Alvarado Court, Suite 100, San Diego, CA 92120, USA
| | - Edward P Riley
- Center for Behavioral Teratology, Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, 6330 Alvarado Court, Suite 100, San Diego, CA 92120, USA
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Dobson CC, Mongillo DL, Poklewska-Koziell M, Winterborn A, Brien JF, Reynolds JN. Sensitivity of modified Biel-maze task, compared with Y-maze task, to measure spatial learning and memory deficits of ethanol teratogenicity in the guinea pig. Behav Brain Res 2012; 233:162-8. [PMID: 22562040 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2012.04.042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2012] [Revised: 04/18/2012] [Accepted: 04/23/2012] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Ethanol consumption during pregnancy can produce a variety of teratogenic effects in offspring, termed Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD). The most debilitating and permanent consequence of chronic prenatal ethanol exposure (CPEE) is neurobehavioral teratogenicity, which often manifests as cognitive and behavioral impairments, including deficits in spatial learning and memory. This study tested the hypothesis that a modified dry-land version of the multi-choice Biel-maze task is more sensitive than the rewarded-alternation Y-maze task for the determination of spatial learning and memory deficits of ethanol teratogenicity. Pregnant guinea pigs received ethanol (4 g/kg maternal body weight/day) or isocaloric-sucrose/pair-feeding (control) for 5days/week throughout gestation. CPEE resulted in ethanol neurobehavioral teratogenicity in offspring, as demonstrated by increased spontaneous locomotor activity at postnatal day (PD) 10 and decreased brain weight at euthanasia (PD 150-200). On PD 21, offspring were randomly assigned to one of two tasks to assess spatial learning and memory performance: a dry-land version of the Biel maze or a rewarded-alternation Y-maze. Animals were habituated to the environment of their assigned task and performance of each CPEE or control offspring was measured. In the modified Biel maze, CPEE and control offspring were not different for percent completed trials or time to complete a trial. However, CPEE offspring made more errors (reversals and entering dead ends) in the Biel maze, demonstrating impaired spatial learning and memory. In contrast, CPEE offspring did not have impaired performance of the rewarded-alternation Y-maze task. Therefore, the modified dry-land version of the Biel-maze task, which measures cognitive performance using a complex multi-choice design, is more sensitive in demonstrating CPEE-induced spatial learning and memory deficits compared with a simple, rewarded-alternation Y-maze task.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine C Dobson
- Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Pharmacology and Toxicology Graduate Program, Queen's University, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6, Canada
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Altered spatial learning and delay discounting in a rat model of human third trimester binge ethanol exposure. Behav Pharmacol 2012; 23:54-65. [PMID: 22129556 DOI: 10.1097/fbp.0b013e32834eb07d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Ethanol exposure during perinatal development can cause cognitive abnormalities including difficulties in learning, attention, and memory, as well as heightened impulsivity. The purpose of this study was to assess performance in spatial learning and impulsive choice tasks in rats subjected to an intragastric intubation model of binge ethanol exposure during human third trimester-equivalent brain development. Male and female Sprague-Dawley rat pups were intubated with ethanol (5.25 g/kg/day) on postnatal days 4-9. At adolescence (between postnatal days 35-38), these rats and sham intubated within-litter controls were trained in both spatial and cued versions of the Morris water maze. A subset of the male rats was subsequently tested on a delay-discounting task to assess impulsive choice. Ethanol-exposed rats were spatially impaired relative to controls, but performed comparably to controls on the cued version of the water maze. Ethanol-exposed rats also showed greater preference for large delayed rewards on the delay discounting task, but no evidence for altered reward sensitivity or perseverative behavior. These data demonstrate that early postnatal intermittent binge-like ethanol exposure has prolonged, detrimental, but selective effects on cognition, suggesting that even relatively brief ethanol exposure late in human pregnancy can be deleterious for cognitive function.
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