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Maxwell JR, Noor S, Pavlik N, Rodriguez DE, Enriquez Marquez L, DiDomenico J, Blossom SJ, Bakhireva LN. Moderate Prenatal Alcohol Exposure Increases Toll-like Receptor Activity in Umbilical Cord Blood at Birth: A Pilot Study. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:7019. [PMID: 39000127 PMCID: PMC11241342 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25137019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2024] [Revised: 06/20/2024] [Accepted: 06/22/2024] [Indexed: 07/16/2024] Open
Abstract
The prevalence of prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) is increasing, with evidence suggesting that PAE is linked to an increased risk of infections. PAE is hypothesized to affect the innate immune system, which identifies pathogens through pattern recognition receptors, of which toll-like receptors (TLRs) are key components. We hypothesized that light-to-moderate PAE would impair immune responses, as measured by a heightened response in cytokine levels following TLR stimulation. Umbilical cord samples (10 controls and 8 PAE) from a subset of the Ethanol, Neurodevelopment, Infant and Child Health Study-2 cohort were included. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PMBCs) were stimulated with one agonist (TLR2, TLR3, TLR4, or TLR9). TLR2 agonist stimulation significantly increased pro-inflammatory interleukin-1-beta in the PAE group after 24 h. Pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines were increased following stimulation with the TLR2 agonists. Stimulation with TLR3 or TLR9 agonists displayed minimal impact overall, but there were significant increases in the percent change of the control compared to PAE after 24 h. The results of this pilot investigation support further work into the impact on TLR2 and TLR4 response following PAE to delineate if alterations in levels of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines have clinical significance that could be used in patient management and/or attention to follow-up.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessie R. Maxwell
- Department of Pediatrics, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA
- Department of Neurosciences, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA
| | - Shahani Noor
- Department of Neurosciences, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA
| | - Nathaniel Pavlik
- Department of Pediatrics, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA
| | | | | | - Jared DiDomenico
- College of Pharmacy, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA
| | - Sarah J. Blossom
- College of Pharmacy, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA
| | - Ludmila N. Bakhireva
- Substance Use Research and Education (SURE) Center, College of Pharmacy, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA
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Nguyen HT, Oktayani PPI, Lee SD, Huang LC. Choline in pregnant women: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Nutr Rev 2024:nuae026. [PMID: 38607338 DOI: 10.1093/nutrit/nuae026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/13/2024] Open
Abstract
CONTEXT Choline is a critical nutrient. Inadequate choline intake during pregnancy increases the risk of adverse maternal and offspring health. OBJECTIVE A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted to examine the current recommendations for choline intake by pregnant women, estimate the overall prevalence of pregnant women with adequate choline intake, and explore associations between maternal choline level and adverse pregnancy outcomes (APOs). METHODS Choline recommendations for pregnant women were assessed from eight nutrient guidelines of the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Asia, International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics, and World Health Organization. Data on the prevalence of pregnant women with adequate choline intake and the association between maternal choline level and APOs were collected from 5 databases up to May 2023. Meta-analyses with random effects and subgroup analyses were performed for the pooled estimate of prevalence and association. RESULTS Five recent nutrition guidelines from the United States (United States Department of Agriculture), United States (Food and Drug Administration), Canada, Australia, and the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics have emphasized the importance of adequate choline intake for pregnant women. Of 27 publications, 19 articles explored the prevalence and 8 articles explored the association. Meta-analysis of 12 prevalence studies revealed a concerning 11.24% (95% confidence interval, 6.34-17.26) prevalence of pregnant women with adequate choline intake recommendations. A meta-analysis of 6 studies indicated a significant association between high maternal choline levels and a reduced risk of developing APOs, with an odds ratio of 0.51 (95% confidence interval, 0.40-0.65). CONCLUSION The existing guidelines highlight the importance of choline in supporting maternal health and fetal development during pregnancy. Furthermore, a high maternal choline level was likely to be associated with a lower risk of APOs. However, 88.76% of pregnant women do not achieve the optimal choline intake. Therefore, specific policies and actions may be necessary to improve choline intake in pregnant women's care and support the well-being of pregnant women. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION PROSPERO registration no. CDR42023410561.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hoan Thi Nguyen
- College of Health Care Science, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan
- Nursing and Medical Technology, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Ho Chi Minh City, VietNam
| | | | - Shin-Da Lee
- College of Health Care Science, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan
- Department of Physical Therapy, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Li-Chi Huang
- College of Health Care Science, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan
- School of Nursing, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan
- Department of Nursing, China Medical University Children Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan
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Carter RC, Yang Z, Akkaya-Hocagil T, Jacobson SW, Jacobson JL, Dodge NC, Hoyme HE, Zeisel SH, Meintjes EM, Kizil C, Tosto G. Genetic admixture predictors of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) in the South African Cape Coloured population. MEDRXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 2024:2024.03.31.24305130. [PMID: 38633769 PMCID: PMC11023663 DOI: 10.1101/2024.03.31.24305130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/19/2024]
Abstract
Ancestrally admixed populations are underrepresented in genetic studies of complex diseases, which are still dominated by European-descent populations. This is relevant not only from a representation standpoint but also because of admixed populations' unique features, including being enriched for rare variants, for which effect sizes are disproportionately larger than common polymorphisms. Furthermore, results from these populations may be generalizable to other populations. The South African Cape Coloured (SACC) population is genetically admixed, with one of the highest prevalences of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) worldwide. We profiled its admixture and examined associations between ancestry profiles and FASD outcomes using two longitudinal birth cohorts ( N =308 mothers, 280 children) designed to examine effects of prenatal alcohol exposure on development. Participants were genotyped via MEGA-ex array to capture common and rare variants. Rare variants were overrepresented in our SACC cohorts, with numerous polymorphisms being monomorphic in other reference populations (e.g., ∼30,000 and ∼221,000 variants in gnomAD European and Asian populations, respectively). The cohorts showed global African (51%; Bantu and San); European (26%; Northern/Western); South Asian (18%); and East Asian (5%; largely Southern regions) ancestries. The cohorts exhibited high rates of homozygosity (6%), with regions of homozygosity harboring more deleterious variants when lying within African local-ancestry genomic segments. Both maternal and child ancestry profiles were associated with FASD risk and altered severity of prenatal alcohol exposure-related cognitive deficits in the child. Our findings indicate that the SACC population may be a valuable asset to identify novel disease-associated genetic loci for FASD and other diseases.
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May PA, Hasken JM, de Vries MM, Marais AS, Abdul-Rahman O, Robinson LK, Adam MP, Manning MA, Kalberg WO, Buckley D, Snell CL, Seedat S, Parry CD, Hoyme HE. Maternal risk factors for fetal alcohol spectrum disorders: Distal variables. ALCOHOL, CLINICAL & EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH 2024; 48:319-344. [PMID: 38105110 PMCID: PMC10922553 DOI: 10.1111/acer.15246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2023] [Revised: 11/09/2023] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND A variety of maternal risk factors for fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) have been described in the literature. Here, we conducted a multivariate analysis of a large array of potential distal influences on FASD risk. METHODS Interviews were conducted with 2515 mothers of first-grade students whose children were evaluated to assess risk for FASD. Topics included: physical/medical status, childbearing history, demographics, mental health, domestic violence, and trauma. Regression modeling utilized usual level of alcohol consumption by trimester and six selected distal variables (maternal head circumference, body mass index, age at pregnancy, gravidity, marital status, and formal years of education) to differentiate children with FASD from control children. RESULTS Despite individual variation in distal maternal risk factors among and within the mothers of children with each of the common diagnoses of FASD, patterns emerged that differentiated risk among mothers of children with FASD from mothers whose children were developing typically. Case-control comparisons indicate that mothers of children with FASD were significantly smaller physically, had higher gravidity and parity, and experienced more miscarriages and stillbirths, were less likely to be married, reported later pregnancy recognition, more depression, and lower formal educational achievement. They were also less engaged with a formal religion, were less happy, suffered more childhood trauma and interpersonal violence, were more likely to drink alone or with her partner, and drank to deal with anxiety, tension, and to be part of a group. Regression analysis showed that the predictor variables explain 57.5% of the variance in fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) diagnoses, 30.1% of partial FAS (PFAS) diagnoses, and 46.4% of alcohol-related neurodevelopmental disorder (ARND) diagnoses in children with FASD compared to controls. While the proximal variables explained most of the diagnostic variance, six distal variables explained 16.7% (1 /6 ) of the variance in FAS diagnoses, 13.9% (1 /7 ) of PFAS, and 12.1% (1 /8 ) of ARND. CONCLUSIONS Differences in distal FASD risks were identified. Complex models to quantify risk for FASD hold promise for guiding prevention/intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philip A. May
- Nutrition Research Institute, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 500 Laureate Way, Kannapolis, NC 28081, United States
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Francie van Zijl Drive, Tygerberg, Cape Town 7505, South Africa
- Center on Alcoholism, Substance Abuse and Addictions, The University of New Mexico, 2650 Yale SE, Albuquerque, NM 87106, United States
| | - Julie M. Hasken
- Nutrition Research Institute, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 500 Laureate Way, Kannapolis, NC 28081, United States
| | - Marlene M. de Vries
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Francie van Zijl Drive, Tygerberg, Cape Town 7505, South Africa
| | - Anna-Susan Marais
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Francie van Zijl Drive, Tygerberg, Cape Town 7505, South Africa
| | - Omar Abdul-Rahman
- Department of Pediatrics, New York- Presbyterian Weill Cornell Medicine, Columbia University, 505 E 70 St, New York, NY 10021
| | - Luther K. Robinson
- Department of Pediatrics, State University of New York, 1001 Main Street, Buffalo, NY 14203, United States
| | - Margaret P. Adam
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, 1959 NE Pacific Street, Seattle, WA 98175, USA
| | - Melanie A. Manning
- Department of Pathology and Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine, 291 Campus Drive, Stanford, CA 94305, United States
| | - Wendy O. Kalberg
- Center on Alcoholism, Substance Abuse and Addictions, The University of New Mexico, 2650 Yale SE, Albuquerque, NM 87106, United States
| | - David Buckley
- Center on Alcoholism, Substance Abuse and Addictions, The University of New Mexico, 2650 Yale SE, Albuquerque, NM 87106, United States
| | - Cudore L. Snell
- School of Social Work, Howard University, Washington D.C., 20059, USA
| | - Soraya Seedat
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Francie van Zijl Drive, Tygerberg, Cape Town 7505, South Africa
| | - Charles D.H. Parry
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Francie van Zijl Drive, Tygerberg, Cape Town 7505, South Africa
- Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drug Research Unit, South African Medical Research Council, Francie van Zijl Drive, Parowvallei, Cape Town, 7505, South Africa
| | - H. Eugene Hoyme
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Francie van Zijl Drive, Tygerberg, Cape Town 7505, South Africa
- Sanford Children’s Genomic Medicine Consortium, Sanford Health, 1600 W. 22 St. Sioux Falls, SD, 57117, United States
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May PA, Marais AS, Kalberg WO, de Vries MM, Buckley D, Hasken JM, Snell CL, Barnard Röhrs R, Hedrick DM, Bezuidenhout H, Anthonissen L, Bröcker E, Robinson LK, Manning MA, Hoyme HE, Seedat S, Parry CDH. Multifaceted case management during pregnancy is associated with better child outcomes and less fetal alcohol syndrome. Ann Med 2023; 55:926-945. [PMID: 36919586 PMCID: PMC10026770 DOI: 10.1080/07853890.2023.2185808] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/16/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Pregnant women participated in multifaceted case management (MCM) to prevent Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD). METHODS Women recruited from antenatal clinics for a longitudinal child development study were screened for alcohol use. Forty-four pregnant women were defined as high-risk drinkers on the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT) by an AUDIT score ≥8 and participated in 18 months of MCM to facilitate reduction or cessation of alcohol consumption. Forty-one women completed MCM. Fifty-five equally high-risk women who received standard antenatal care comprised the comparison/control group. Development in offspring was evaluated by a blinded interdisciplinary team of examiners through 5 years of age. RESULTS At five years of age, more children (34%) of MCM participating women did not meet the criteria for FASD vs. non-MCM offspring (22%). Furthermore, a statistically significant (p = .01) lower proportion of MCM offspring (24%) was diagnosed with fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) compared to controls (49%). Children of MCM participants had significantly (p < .05) better physical outcomes: lower total dysmorphology scores, larger head circumferences, longer palpebral fissures, and higher midfacial measurements. Neurodevelopment results showed mixed outcomes. While Bayley developmental scores indicated that MCM offspring were performing significantly worse on most domains through 18 months, group scores equalized and were not significantly different on Kaufman Assessment Battery neurobehavioral measures by five years. Regression analyses indicated that offspring of women who received standard antenatal care were associated with significantly more negative outcomes than MCM offspring: a diagnosis of FAS (OR = 3.2; 95% CI: 1.093-9.081), microcephaly (OR = 5.3; 95% CI: 2.1-13.5), head circumference ≤10th centile (OR = 4.3; 95%CI: 1.8-10.4), and short palpebral fissures (OR = 2.5; 95% CI: 1.0-5.8). CONCLUSION At age five, proportionally fewer children of MCM participants qualified for a diagnosis of FAS, and proportionally more had physical outcomes indicating better prenatal brain development. Neurobehavioral indicators were not significantly different from controls by age five.KEY MESSAGESMultifaceted Case Management (MCM) was designed and employed for 18 months during the prenatal and immediate postpartum period to successfully meet multiple needs of women who had proven to be very high risk for birthing children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD).Offspring of the women who participated in MCM were followed up through age five years and were found to have significantly better physical outcomes on multiple variables associated with fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) and FASD, such as larger head circumferences and fewer minor anomalies, than those children born to equally at-risk women not receiving MCM.Fewer children of women receiving MCM were diagnosed with FASD than the offspring of equally-at-risk controls, and significantly (p = .01) fewer MCM offspring had FAS, the most severe FASD diagnosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philip A May
- Nutrition Research Institute, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Kannapolis, NC, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
- Center on Alcohol, Substance Abuse and Addictions, The University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Anna-Susan Marais
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Wendy O Kalberg
- Center on Alcohol, Substance Abuse and Addictions, The University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Marlene M de Vries
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - David Buckley
- Center on Alcohol, Substance Abuse and Addictions, The University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Julie M Hasken
- Nutrition Research Institute, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Kannapolis, NC, USA
| | - Cudore L Snell
- School of Social Work, Howard University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Ronel Barnard Röhrs
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Dixie M Hedrick
- Nutrition Research Institute, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Kannapolis, NC, USA
| | - Heidre Bezuidenhout
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Lise Anthonissen
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Erine Bröcker
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Luther K Robinson
- Department of Pediatrics, State University of New York, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Melanie A Manning
- Department of Pathology and Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - H Eugene Hoyme
- Sanford Children's Genomic Medicine Consortium, Sanford Health, Sioux Falls, SD, USA
| | - Soraya Seedat
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Charles D H Parry
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
- Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drug Research Unit, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa
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Saini N, Mooney SM, Smith SM. Alcohol blunts pregnancy-mediated insulin resistance and reduces fetal brain glucose despite elevated fetal gluconeogenesis, and these changes associate with fetal weight outcomes. FASEB J 2023; 37:e23172. [PMID: 37665328 PMCID: PMC11167647 DOI: 10.1096/fj.202300788r] [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: 04/20/2023] [Revised: 08/01/2023] [Accepted: 08/09/2023] [Indexed: 09/05/2023]
Abstract
Prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) impairs fetal growth and neurodevelopment. Although alcohol is well known to alter metabolism, its impact on these processes during pregnancy is largely unexplored. Here, we investigate how alcohol affects maternal-fetal glucose metabolism using our established mouse binge model of PAE. In the dam, alcohol reduces the hepatic abundance of glucose and glycolytic intermediates, and the gluconeogenic enzymes glucose-6-phosphtase and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase. Fasting blood glucose is also reduced. In a healthy pregnancy, elevated maternal gluconeogenesis and insulin resistance ensures glucose availability for the fetus. Glucose and insulin tolerance tests reveal that alcohol impairs the dam's ability to acquire insulin resistance. Alcohol-exposed dams have enhanced glucose clearance (p < .05) in early gestation, after just two days of alcohol, and this persists through late term when fetal glucose needs are maximal. However, maternal plasma insulin levels, hepatic insulin signaling, and the abundance of glucose transporter proteins remain unchanged. In the PAE fetus, the expression of hepatic gluconeogenic genes is elevated, and there is a trend for elevated blood and liver glucose levels. In contrast, fetal brain and placental glucose levels remain low. This reduced maternal fasting glucose, reduced hepatic glucose, and elevated glucose clearance inversely correlated with fetal body and brain weight. Taken together, these data suggest that alcohol blunts the adaptive changes in maternal glucose metabolism that otherwise enhance fetal glucose availability. Compensatory attempts by the fetus to increase glucose pools via gluconeogenesis do not normalize brain glucose. These metabolic changes may contribute to the impaired fetal growth and brain development that typifies PAE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nipun Saini
- Nutrition Research Institute, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Kannapolis, North Carolina, USA
| | - Sandra M. Mooney
- Nutrition Research Institute, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Kannapolis, North Carolina, USA
- Department of Nutrition, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Kannapolis, North Carolina, USA
| | - Susan M. Smith
- Nutrition Research Institute, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Kannapolis, North Carolina, USA
- Department of Nutrition, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Kannapolis, North Carolina, USA
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Hasken JM, de Vries MM, Marais AS, Kalberg WO, Buckley D, Parry CDH, Seedat S, May PA. Maternal dietary intake among alcohol-exposed pregnancies is linked to early infant physical outcomes in South Africa. Reprod Toxicol 2023; 121:108467. [PMID: 37678653 PMCID: PMC11187711 DOI: 10.1016/j.reprotox.2023.108467] [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: 05/01/2023] [Revised: 08/10/2023] [Accepted: 08/29/2023] [Indexed: 09/09/2023]
Abstract
Maternal dietary intake is likely a contributing factor to fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD). Two, 24-hour dietary recalls were completed by pregnant women (n = 196) in South African communities with high rates of FASD. More than 50% of all women in this study were below the Estimated Average Requirement (EAR) for pregnancy for vitamins A, C, D, E, riboflavin, vitamin B6, folate, calcium, magnesium, iron, and zinc. More than 90% of mothers were below the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) or Adequate Intake (AI) for pregnancy on vitamin A, K, D, E, choline, calcium, magnesium, zinc, and potassium. More than 80% were below RDA/AI for pantothenic acid, vitamin B6, and folate. Women who consumed alcohol reported significantly lower intake of calcium and three saturated fatty acids and significantly higher intake of two monounsaturated fatty acids. On average, infants were < 40th centile on length, weight, and head circumference at 6 weeks old, regardless of alcohol exposure. Twenty nutrients correlated with at least one measure of 1st trimester drinking (drinks per drinking day, number of drinking days per week, and/or total drinks per week). Nutrients included four saturated fatty acids, eight amino acids, calcium, B-complex vitamins, choline, and betaine. Calcium correlated with all three drinking measures. Further analyses revealed seven nutrients were associated with infant length, weight, and/or head circumference among unexposed infants, and 12 nutrients were associated among infants with prenatal alcohol exposure. Inadequate maternal dietary intake, with alcohol exposure, may increase risk for poor infant growth and likelihood of FASD in this population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie M Hasken
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Nutrition Research Institute, Kannapolis, NC, USA.
| | - Marlene M de Vries
- Stellenbosch University, Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Tygerberg, South Africa
| | - Anna-Susan Marais
- Stellenbosch University, Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Tygerberg, South Africa
| | - Wendy O Kalberg
- Center on Alcohol, Substance Abuse, and Addictions, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - David Buckley
- Center on Alcohol, Substance Abuse, and Addictions, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Charles D H Parry
- Stellenbosch University, Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Tygerberg, South Africa; Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drug Research Unit, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Soraya Seedat
- Stellenbosch University, Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Tygerberg, South Africa
| | - Philip A May
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Nutrition Research Institute, Kannapolis, NC, USA; Stellenbosch University, Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Tygerberg, South Africa; Center on Alcohol, Substance Abuse, and Addictions, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
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8
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Kalberg WO, Marais AS, De Vries MM, Laurel M, Taylor K, Hasken JM, Tabachnick BG, Buckley D, Ortega MA, Seedat S, May PA. Relationship-based intervention for children who were prenatally alcohol exposed in South Africa. RESEARCH IN DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES 2023; 136:104479. [PMID: 36963311 PMCID: PMC10103540 DOI: 10.1016/j.ridd.2023.104479] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2022] [Revised: 02/23/2023] [Accepted: 03/08/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND This early intervention study investigated the effectiveness of a relationship-based, developmental enhancement process for children who were prenatally exposed to alcohol in the South African context. METHODS Groups were created according to the child's level of risk for alcohol-related developmental issues based on each mother's alcohol use during pregnancy as assessed using the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT). Primary caregiver/child dyads were the focus of the intervention and child development was monitored by the Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ). Eighteen caregiver/child dyads were in the heavily alcohol-exposed group, and 20 caregiver/child dyads were in the no or light alcohol-exposure group. The Home Observation Measurement of the Environment (HOME) was measured pre and post intervention. RESULTS The results indicated significant improvements in the home environment (p < .001) post-intervention for the entire cohort. For the total HOME score, there was a statistically significant main effect for time (pre- vs post-test), F(1, 36)= 65.205, p < .001, partial η2 = .64. with 99% confidence limits from .35 to .78. The offspring and parents from both the heavy alcohol exposure group and the no/low alcohol exposure group benefitted from the intervention over the duration of the intervention. Of the HOME domains affected, responsivity was the most improved in the households. The children's scores on the ASQ varied substantially over the months of the intervention, and the offspring of the heavy exposure group often performed significantly worse than the no/low exposure group. Nevertheless, further analysis revealed that children with the lowest performance at baseline improved their performance on most ASQ domains throughout the intervention and performed significantly better on all ASQ domains over time and at completion of the intervention. CONCLUSIONS This relationship-based, early intervention program for children resulted in benefits to all of the children over time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wendy O Kalberg
- The University of New Mexico, Center on Alcohol, Substance Abuse and Addictions, 2650 Yale Blvd. SE, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Anna-Susan Marais
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, P.O. Box 241, Cape Town 8000, South Africa
| | - Marlene M De Vries
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, P.O. Box 241, Cape Town 8000, South Africa
| | - Marci Laurel
- The University of New Mexico, Center for Development and Disability, 2300 Menaul Blvd. NE, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Kathleen Taylor
- The University of New Mexico, Occupational Therapy Department, 2500 Marble Ave. NE, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Julie M Hasken
- The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Nutrition Research Institute, 500 Laureate Way, Kannapolis, NC 28081, USA
| | | | - David Buckley
- The University of New Mexico, Center on Alcohol, Substance Abuse and Addictions, 2650 Yale Blvd. SE, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Marian A Ortega
- The University of New Mexico, Center on Alcohol, Substance Abuse and Addictions, 2650 Yale Blvd. SE, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Soraya Seedat
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, P.O. Box 241, Cape Town 8000, South Africa
| | - Philip A May
- The University of New Mexico, Center on Alcohol, Substance Abuse and Addictions, 2650 Yale Blvd. SE, Albuquerque, NM, USA; Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, P.O. Box 241, Cape Town 8000, South Africa; The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Nutrition Research Institute, 500 Laureate Way, Kannapolis, NC 28081, USA.
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Edwards AC, Jacobson SW, Senekal M, Dodge NC, Molteno CD, Meintjes EM, Jacobson JL, Carter RC. Fetal Alcohol-Related Postnatal Growth Restriction Is Independent of Infant Feeding Practices and Postnatal Alcohol Exposure in a Prospective South African Birth Cohort. Nutrients 2023; 15:2018. [PMID: 37432143 DOI: 10.3390/nu15092018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2023] [Revised: 04/04/2023] [Accepted: 04/13/2023] [Indexed: 07/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) causes growth restriction that worsens in the first year of life. However, the roles of postnatal nutrition in fetal alcohol growth restriction and the impact of postnatal alcohol exposure via breastmilk on growth remain unknown. We aimed to compare infant feeding practices during the first 6.5 months of life between heavy drinkers and abstainers/light drinkers, to examine whether these practices play confounding roles in fetal alcohol growth restriction, and to determine the impact of postnatal alcohol exposure via breastmilk on growth. Eighty-seven heavy-drinking pregnant women and 71 abstainers/light drinkers (controls) were recruited prenatally from antenatal clinics in Cape Town, South Africa. Demographic background and alcohol, cigarette, marijuana, and methamphetamine use during pregnancy were assessed pre- and postnatally. Infant feeding practices were assessed at 6.5 months postpartum using the USDA Infant Feeding Questionnaire. Infant weight, length, and head circumference were measured at 2 weeks, 6.5 and 12 months, and 5 years. Neither prenatal nor postnatal alcohol consumption was related to the duration of breastfeeding, exclusive breastfeeding, exclusive formula, or mixed feeding. Complementary feeding practices were remarkably similar between exposure groups. PAE was related to all postnatal anthropometry measures at all age points, independent of infant feeding practices. Postnatal alcohol exposure via breastmilk was unrelated to any anthropometry outcome after control for PAE. In conclusion, fetal alcohol-related postnatal growth restriction was not attributable to differences in postnatal infant feeding practices or postnatal alcohol exposure and is thus likely a direct teratogenic effect of PAE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexia C Edwards
- Departments of Emergency Medicine and Pediatrics, Institute of Human Nutrition, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY 10032, USA
- Adult & Pediatric Intensive Care Units, State University of New York Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, NY 11203, USA
| | - Sandra W Jacobson
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI 48201, USA
- Department of Human Biology, University of Cape Town Faculty of Health Sciences, Cape Town 7925, South Africa
- Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of Cape Town Faculty of Health Sciences, Cape Town 7925, South Africa
| | - Marjanne Senekal
- Department of Human Biology, University of Cape Town Faculty of Health Sciences, Cape Town 7925, South Africa
| | - Neil C Dodge
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI 48201, USA
| | - Christopher D Molteno
- Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of Cape Town Faculty of Health Sciences, Cape Town 7925, South Africa
| | - Ernesta M Meintjes
- Department of Human Biology, University of Cape Town Faculty of Health Sciences, Cape Town 7925, South Africa
| | - Joseph L Jacobson
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI 48201, USA
- Department of Human Biology, University of Cape Town Faculty of Health Sciences, Cape Town 7925, South Africa
| | - R Colin Carter
- Departments of Emergency Medicine and Pediatrics, Institute of Human Nutrition, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY 10032, USA
- Department of Human Biology, University of Cape Town Faculty of Health Sciences, Cape Town 7925, South Africa
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10
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Carter RC, Dodge NC, Molteno CD, Meintjes EM, Jacobson JL, Jacobson SW. Mediating and Moderating Effects of Iron Homeostasis Alterations on Fetal Alcohol-Related Growth and Neurobehavioral Deficits. Nutrients 2022; 14:nu14204432. [PMID: 36297115 PMCID: PMC9607139 DOI: 10.3390/nu14204432] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2022] [Revised: 10/03/2022] [Accepted: 10/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
We have previously demonstrated prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE)-related alterations in maternal and infant iron homeostasis. Given that early iron deficiency and PAE both lead to growth restriction and deficits in recognition memory and processing speed, we hypothesized that PAE-related iron homeostasis alterations may mediate and/or moderate effects of PAE on growth and neurobehavior. We examined this hypothesis in a prenatally recruited, prospective longitudinal birth cohort [87 mother-infant pairs with heavy prenatal alcohol exposure (mean = 7.2 drinks/occasion on 1.4 days/week); 71 controls], with serial growth measures and infant neurobehavioral assessments. PAE was related to growth restriction at 2 weeks and 5 years, and, in infancy, poorer visual recognition memory, slower processing speed, lower complexity of symbolic play, and higher emotionality and shyness on a parental report temperament scale. Lower maternal hemoglobin-to-log(ferritin) ratio, which we have shown to be associated with PAE, appeared to exacerbate PAE-related 2-week head circumference reductions, and elevated maternal ferritin, which we have shown to be associated with PAE, appeared to exacerbate PAE-related visual recognition memory deficits. In causal inference analyses, PAE-related elevations in maternal ferritin and hemoglobin:log(ferritin) appeared to statistically mediate 22.6-82.3% of PAE-related growth restriction. These findings support potential mechanistic roles of iron homeostasis alterations in fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD).
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Affiliation(s)
- R. Colin Carter
- Departments of Emergency Medicine and Pediatrics, Institute of Human Nutrition, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY 10032, USA
- Department of Human Biology, University of Cape Town Faculty of Health Sciences, Cape Town 7925, South Africa
- Correspondence:
| | - Neil C. Dodge
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI 48201, USA
| | - Christopher D. Molteno
- Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town 7925, South Africa
| | - Ernesta M. Meintjes
- Department of Human Biology, University of Cape Town Faculty of Health Sciences, Cape Town 7925, South Africa
| | - Joseph L. Jacobson
- Department of Human Biology, University of Cape Town Faculty of Health Sciences, Cape Town 7925, South Africa
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI 48201, USA
| | - Sandra W. Jacobson
- Department of Human Biology, University of Cape Town Faculty of Health Sciences, Cape Town 7925, South Africa
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI 48201, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town 7925, South Africa
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11
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Bradley R, Lakpa KL, Burd M, Mehta S, Katusic MZ, Greenmyer JR. Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder and Iron Homeostasis. Nutrients 2022; 14:4223. [PMID: 36296909 PMCID: PMC9607572 DOI: 10.3390/nu14204223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2022] [Revised: 10/06/2022] [Accepted: 10/08/2022] [Indexed: 09/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Prenatal alcohol exposure results in a spectrum of behavioral, cognitive, and morphological abnormalities collectively referred to as fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD). FASD presents with significant phenotypic variability and may be modified by gestational variables such as maternal nutritional status. Iron serves a critical function in the development of and processes within central nervous system (CNS) structures. Gestational iron deficiency alters CNS development and may contribute to neurodevelopmental impairment in FASD. This review explores the relationship between iron deficiency and fetal alcohol spectrum disorder as described in small animal and human studies. Consideration is given to the pathophysiologic mechanisms linking iron homeostasis and prenatal alcohol exposure. Existing data suggest that iron deficiency contributes to the severity of FASD and provide a mechanistic explanation linking these two conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Regan Bradley
- School of Medicine, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND 58201, USA
| | - Koffi L. Lakpa
- School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Michael Burd
- School of Medicine, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND 58201, USA
| | - Sunil Mehta
- Mayo Clinic, Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, Psychiatry and Psychology, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Maja Z. Katusic
- Mayo Clinic, Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Jacob R. Greenmyer
- Mayo Clinic, Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
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12
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May PA, de Vries MM, Marais AS, Kalberg WO, Buckley D, Hasken JM, Abdul-Rahman O, Robinson LK, Manning MA, Seedat S, Parry CD, Hoyme HE. The prevalence of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders in rural communities in South Africa: A third regional sample of child characteristics and maternal risk factors. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2022; 46:1819-1836. [PMID: 35971629 PMCID: PMC9588757 DOI: 10.1111/acer.14922] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2022] [Revised: 07/13/2022] [Accepted: 08/09/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND This study is the ninth cross-sectional community study of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) conducted by the multidisciplinary Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Epidemiology Research team in the Western Cape Province of South Africa. It is the third comprehensive study of FASD in a rural, agricultural region of South Africa. METHODS Population-based, active case ascertainment methods were employed among a school-based cohort to assess child physical and neurobehavioral traits, and maternal risk factor interviews were conducted to identify all children with FASD to determine its prevalence. RESULTS Consent was obtained for 76.7% of 1158 children attending first grade in the region's public schools. Case-control results are presented for 95 with fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS), 64 with partial fetal alcohol syndrome (PFAS), 77 with alcohol-related neurodevelopmental disorder (ARND), 2 with alcohol-related birth defects (ARBD), and 213 randomly-selected controls. Four techniques estimating FASD prevalence from in-person examinations and testing yielded a range of total FASD prevalence of 206-366 per 1000. The final weighted, estimated prevalence of FAS was 104.5 per 1000, PFAS was 77.7 per 1000, ARND was 125.2 per 1000, and total FASD prevalence was 310 per 1000 (95% CI = 283.4-336.7). Expressed as a percentage, 31% had FASD. Although the rate of total FASD remained steady over 9 years, the proportion of children within the FASD group has changed significantly: FAS trended down and ARND trended up. A detailed evaluation is presented of the specific child physical and neurobehavioral traits integral to assessing the full continuum of FASD. The diagnosis of a child with FASD was significantly associated with maternal proximal risk factors such as: co-morbid prenatal use of alcohol and tobacco (OR = 19.1); maternal drinking of two (OR = 5.9), three (OR = 5.9), four (OR = 38.3), or more alcoholic drinks per drinking day; and drinking in the first trimester (OR = 8.4), first and second trimesters (OR = 17.7), or throughout pregnancy (OR = 18.6). Distal maternal risk factors included the following: slight or small physical status (height, weight, and head circumference), lower BMI, less formal education, late recognition of pregnancy, and higher gravidity, parity, and older age during the index pregnancy. CONCLUSION The prevalence of FASD remained a significant problem in this region, but the severity of physical traits and anomalies within the continuum of FASD is trending downwards.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philip A. May
- Nutrition Research Institute, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 500 Laureate Way, Kannapolis, NC 28081, United States
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Francie van Zijl Drive, Tygerberg, Cape Town 7505, South Africa
- Center on Alcoholism, Substance Abuse and Addictions, The University of New Mexico, 2650 Yale SE, Albuquerque, NM 87106, United States
| | - Marlene M. de Vries
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Francie van Zijl Drive, Tygerberg, Cape Town 7505, South Africa
| | - Anna-Susan Marais
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Francie van Zijl Drive, Tygerberg, Cape Town 7505, South Africa
| | - Wendy O. Kalberg
- Center on Alcoholism, Substance Abuse and Addictions, The University of New Mexico, 2650 Yale SE, Albuquerque, NM 87106, United States
| | - David Buckley
- Center on Alcoholism, Substance Abuse and Addictions, The University of New Mexico, 2650 Yale SE, Albuquerque, NM 87106, United States
| | - Julie M. Hasken
- Nutrition Research Institute, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 500 Laureate Way, Kannapolis, NC 28081, United States
| | - Omar Abdul-Rahman
- Department of Genetic Medicine, Munroe-Meyer Institute, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska
| | - Luther K. Robinson
- Department of Pediatrics, State University of New York, 1001 Main Street, Buffalo, NY 14203, United States
| | - Melanie A. Manning
- Department of Pathology and Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine, 291 Campus Drive, Stanford, CA 94305, United States
| | - Soraya Seedat
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Francie van Zijl Drive, Tygerberg, Cape Town 7505, South Africa
| | - Charles D.H. Parry
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Francie van Zijl Drive, Tygerberg, Cape Town 7505, South Africa
- Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drug Research Unit, South African Medical Research Council, Francie van Zijl Drive, Parowvallei, Cape Town, 7505, South Africa
| | - H. Eugene Hoyme
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Francie van Zijl Drive, Tygerberg, Cape Town 7505, South Africa
- Sanford Children’s Genomic Medicine Consortium, Sanford Health, 1600 W. 22 St. Sioux Falls, SD, 57117, United States
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13
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Martín-Estal I, Fajardo-Ramírez ÓR, Bermúdez de León M, Zertuche-Mery C, Benavides-Guajardo R, García-Cruz MI, Rodríguez De Ita J, Castilla-Cortázar I, Castorena-Torres F. Effect of Ethanol Consumption on the Placenta and Liver of Partially IGF-1-Deficient Mice: The Role of Metabolism via CYP2E1 and the Antioxidant Enzyme System. BIOLOGY 2022; 11:biology11091264. [PMID: 36138743 PMCID: PMC9495332 DOI: 10.3390/biology11091264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2022] [Revised: 08/16/2022] [Accepted: 08/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Simple Summary Ethanol is the most consumed drug worldwide, even during pregnancy. One of its adverse outcomes is fetal growth restriction, an alteration in development due to decreased IGF-1 levels. Several studies have shown that ethanol can impair the IGF-1 signaling pathway, thus exacerbating IGF-1 adverse effects in both intrauterine and postnatal growth and development. In this manuscript, we used a partially IGF-1-deficient mouse model to demonstrate the key role of IGF-1 in fetal development, as well as ethanol’s adverse effects on CYP2E1 expression levels and the antioxidant enzyme system during pregnancy. Abstract Ethanol use during pregnancy is a risk factor for developing adverse outcomes. Its metabolism by cytochrome P450 2E1 (CYP2E1) produces radical oxygen species (ROS), promoting cellular injury and apoptosis. To date, no studies have been conducted to elucidate the teratogenic effects due to both IGF-1 deficiency and ethanol consumption in mice placentas. The aim of this study is to determine the effect of ethanol consumption on the placenta and liver of partially IGF-1-deficient mice, the role of metabolism via CYP2E1, and the antioxidant enzyme system. Heterozygous (HZ, Igf1+/−) pregnant female mice were given water or 10% ethanol. Wild-type (WT, Igf1+/+) female mice were used as controls. At gestational day 19, pregnant dams were euthanized, and maternal liver and placentas were collected. Pregnant HZ dams were smaller than controls, and this effect was higher due to ethanol consumption. Cyp2e1 gene was overexpressed in the liver of HZ pregnant dams exposed to ethanol; at the protein level, CYP2E1 is reduced in placentas from all genotypes. The antioxidant enzymatic system was altered by ethanol consumption in both the maternal liver and placenta. The results in this work hint that IGF-1 is involved in intrauterine development because its deficiency exacerbates ethanol’s effects on both metabolism and the placenta.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irene Martín-Estal
- Tecnologico de Monterrey, Escuela de Medicina y Ciencias de la Salud, Ave. Morones Prieto 3000, Monterrey 64710, N.L., Mexico
| | - Óscar R. Fajardo-Ramírez
- Tecnologico de Monterrey, Escuela de Medicina y Ciencias de la Salud, Ave. Morones Prieto 3000, Monterrey 64710, N.L., Mexico
| | - Mario Bermúdez de León
- Departamento de Biología Molecular, Centro de Investigación Biomédica del Noreste, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Monterrey 64720, N.L., Mexico
| | - Carolina Zertuche-Mery
- Tecnologico de Monterrey, Escuela de Medicina y Ciencias de la Salud, Ave. Morones Prieto 3000, Monterrey 64710, N.L., Mexico
| | - Rodolfo Benavides-Guajardo
- Tecnologico de Monterrey, Escuela de Medicina y Ciencias de la Salud, Ave. Morones Prieto 3000, Monterrey 64710, N.L., Mexico
| | - María Isabel García-Cruz
- Tecnologico de Monterrey, Escuela de Medicina y Ciencias de la Salud, Ave. Morones Prieto 3000, Monterrey 64710, N.L., Mexico
| | - Julieta Rodríguez De Ita
- Tecnologico de Monterrey, Escuela de Medicina y Ciencias de la Salud, Ave. Morones Prieto 3000, Monterrey 64710, N.L., Mexico
| | - Inma Castilla-Cortázar
- Fundación de Investigación HM Hospitales, 28015 Madrid, Spain
- Correspondence: (I.C.-C.); (F.C.-T.)
| | - Fabiola Castorena-Torres
- Tecnologico de Monterrey, Escuela de Medicina y Ciencias de la Salud, Ave. Morones Prieto 3000, Monterrey 64710, N.L., Mexico
- Correspondence: (I.C.-C.); (F.C.-T.)
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14
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Carter RC, Senekal M, Duggan CP, Dodge NC, Meintjes EM, Molteno CD, Jacobson JL, Jacobson SW. Gestational weight gain and dietary energy, iron, and choline intake predict severity of fetal alcohol growth restriction in a prospective birth cohort. Am J Clin Nutr 2022; 116:460-469. [PMID: 35441212 PMCID: PMC9348980 DOI: 10.1093/ajcn/nqac101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2022] [Accepted: 04/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Animal models have demonstrated that maternal nutrition can alter fetal vulnerability to prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE). Few human studies have examined the role of nutrition in fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD). OBJECTIVES Our objectives were to examine whether fetal vulnerability to PAE-related growth restriction is modified by: 1) rate of gestational weight gain; or prenatal dietary intakes of 2) energy, 3) iron, or 4) choline. METHODS In a prospective longitudinal birth cohort in Cape Town, South Africa, 118 heavy-drinking and 71 abstaining/light-drinking pregnant women were weighed and interviewed regarding demographics, alcohol, cigarette/other drug use, and diet at prenatal visits. Infant length, weight, and head circumference were measured at 2 wk and 12 mo postpartum. RESULTS Heavy-drinking mothers reported a binge pattern of drinking [Mean = 129 mL (∼7.2 drinks)/occasion on 1.3 d/wk). Rate of gestational weight gain and average daily dietary energy, iron, and choline intakes were similar between heavy-drinking women and controls. In regression models adjusting for maternal age, socioeconomic status, cigarette use, and weeks gestation at delivery, PAE [ounces (30 mL) absolute alcohol per day] was related to smaller 2-wk length and head circumference and 12-mo length, weight, and head circumference z-scores (β = -0.43 to -0.67; all P values <0.05). In stratified analyses for each maternal nutritional measure (inadequate compared with adequate weight gain; tertiles for dietary energy, iron, and choline intakes), PAE-related growth restriction was more severe in women with poorer nutrition, with effect modification seen by weight gain, energy, iron, and/or choline for several anthropometric outcomes. CONCLUSIONS Gestational weight gain and dietary intakes of energy, choline, and iron appeared to modify fetal vulnerability to PAE-related growth restriction. These findings suggest a need for screening programs for pregnant women at higher risk of having a child with FASD to identify alcohol-using women who could benefit from nutritional interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Marjanne Senekal
- Department of Human Biology, University of Cape Town Faculty of Health Sciences, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Christopher P Duggan
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Neil C Dodge
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Ernesta M Meintjes
- Department of Human Biology, University of Cape Town Faculty of Health Sciences, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Christopher D Molteno
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA,Departments of Nutrition and Global Health and Population, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA,Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of Cape Town Faculty of Health Sciences, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Joseph L Jacobson
- Department of Human Biology, University of Cape Town Faculty of Health Sciences, Cape Town, South Africa,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Sandra W Jacobson
- Department of Human Biology, University of Cape Town Faculty of Health Sciences, Cape Town, South Africa,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA,Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of Cape Town Faculty of Health Sciences, Cape Town, South Africa
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15
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Kable JA, Coles CD, Keen CL, Uriu-Adams JY, Jones KL, Yevtushok L, Kulikovsky Y, Zymak-Zakutnya N, Dubchak I, Akhmedzhanova D, Wertelecki W, Chambers CD. The impact of micronutrient supplementation in alcohol-exposed pregnancies on reaction time responses of preschoolers in Ukraine. Alcohol 2022; 99:49-58. [PMID: 34942330 PMCID: PMC8844237 DOI: 10.1016/j.alcohol.2021.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2020] [Revised: 12/03/2021] [Accepted: 12/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The potential of micronutrients to ameliorate the impact of prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) on attentional regulation skills was explored in a randomized clinical trial conducted in Ukraine. Women who differed in prenatal alcohol use were recruited during pregnancy and assigned to one of three groups [No study-provided supplements, Multivitamin/Mineral Supplement (MVM), or MVM plus Choline]. Their offspring were seen in the preschool period and a reaction time task was administered. Participants were asked to press a response button as quickly as possible as 30 stimuli from the same category (animals) were presented consecutively and then followed by six stimuli from a novel category (vehicles). Number correct, mean latency of the response over trials, and variability in the latency were analyzed separately by sex. During the initial animal trials, boys whose mothers received MVM during pregnancy had more correct responses and reduced response latency compared to boys whose mothers had no MVM treatment. During vehicle trials, maternal choline supplementation was associated with increased response speed in males without a PAE history. Females receiving supplements did not show the same benefits from micronutrient supplementation and were more adversely impacted by prenatal alcohol exposure. Relationships between maternal levels of choline, betaine, and dimethylglycine (DMG) and task performance were also assessed. Although no effects were found for choline after adjusting for multiple comparisons, lower baseline DMG level was associated with greater accuracy and shorter latency of responses in the initial animal trials and shorter latency in the vehicle trials in female preschoolers. Level of betaine in Trimester 3 was associated with reduced variability in the latency of male responses during the animal trials. Maternal micronutrient supplementation in pregnancy appears to improve preschool reaction time performance, but the effects varied as a function of sex and PAE exposure status.
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Affiliation(s)
- JA Kable
- Departments of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Emory University School of Medicine,,Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine
| | - CD Coles
- Departments of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Emory University School of Medicine,,Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine
| | - CL Keen
- Department of Nutrition, University of California, Davis
| | - JY Uriu-Adams
- Department of Nutrition, University of California, Davis
| | - KL Jones
- Departments of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego,,Family Medicine and Public Health, University of California San Diego
| | - L Yevtushok
- Rivne Regional Medical Diagnostic Center, Rivne, Ukraine,,Lviv National Medical University, Lviv, Ukraine,,OMNI-Net Ukraine Birth Defects Program
| | - Y Kulikovsky
- Rivne Regional Medical Diagnostic Center, Rivne, Ukraine,,OMNI-Net Ukraine Birth Defects Program
| | - N. Zymak-Zakutnya
- Khmelnytsky Perinatal Center, Khmelnytsky, Ukraine,,OMNI-Net Ukraine Birth Defects Program
| | - Iryna Dubchak
- Khmelnytsky Perinatal Center, Khmelnytsky, Ukraine,,OMNI-Net Ukraine Birth Defects Program
| | - D Akhmedzhanova
- Khmelnytsky Perinatal Center, Khmelnytsky, Ukraine,,OMNI-Net Ukraine Birth Defects Program
| | - W Wertelecki
- Departments of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego,,OMNI-Net Ukraine Birth Defects Program
| | - CD Chambers
- Departments of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego,,Family Medicine and Public Health, University of California San Diego
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16
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Gutherz OR, Deyssenroth M, Li Q, Hao K, Jacobson JL, Chen J, Jacobson SW, Carter RC. Potential roles of imprinted genes in the teratogenic effects of alcohol on the placenta, somatic growth, and the developing brain. Exp Neurol 2021; 347:113919. [PMID: 34752786 DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2021.113919] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2021] [Revised: 10/26/2021] [Accepted: 11/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Despite several decades of research and prevention efforts, fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) remain the most common preventable cause of neurodevelopmental disabilities worldwide. Animal and human studies have implicated fetal alcohol-induced alterations in epigenetic programming as a chief mechanism in FASD. Several studies have demonstrated fetal alcohol-related alterations in methylation and expression of imprinted genes in placental, brain, and embryonic tissue. Imprinted genes are epigenetically regulated in a parent-of-origin-specific manner, in which only the maternal or paternal allele is expressed, and the other allele is silenced. The chief functions of imprinted genes are in placental development, somatic growth, and neurobehavior-three domains characteristically affected in FASD. In this review, we summarize the growing body of literature characterizing prenatal alcohol-related alterations in imprinted gene methylation and/or expression and discuss potential mechanistic roles for these alterations in the teratogenic effects of prenatal alcohol exposure. Future research is needed to examine potential physiologic mechanisms by which alterations in imprinted genes disrupt development in FASD, which may, in turn, elucidate novel targets for intervention. Furthermore, mechanistic alterations in imprinted gene expression and/or methylation in FASD may inform screening assays that identify individuals with FASD neurobehavioral deficits who may benefit from early interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivia R Gutherz
- Institute of Human Nutrition, Columbia University Medical Center, United States of America
| | - Maya Deyssenroth
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, United States of America
| | - Qian Li
- Department of Environmental Medicine & Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, United States of America
| | - Ke Hao
- Department of Environmental Medicine & Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, United States of America
| | - Joseph L Jacobson
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, United States of America; Department of Human Biology, University of Cape Town Faculty of Health Sciences, South Africa
| | - Jia Chen
- Department of Environmental Medicine & Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, United States of America
| | - Sandra W Jacobson
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, United States of America; Department of Human Biology, University of Cape Town Faculty of Health Sciences, South Africa
| | - R Colin Carter
- Institute of Human Nutrition, Columbia University Medical Center, United States of America; Departments of Emergency Medicine and Pediatrics, Columbia University Medical Center, United States of America.
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17
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Thomas JD. Choline supplementation as an intervention for fetal alcohol spectrum disorders: A commentary. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2021; 45:2465-2467. [PMID: 34716714 DOI: 10.1111/acer.14732] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2021] [Accepted: 10/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer D Thomas
- Department of Psychology, Center for Behavioral Teratology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA
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18
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Kwan STC, Ricketts DK, Presswood BH, Smith SM, Mooney SM. Prenatal choline supplementation during mouse pregnancy has differential effects in alcohol-exposed fetal organs. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2021; 45:2471-2484. [PMID: 34697823 DOI: 10.1111/acer.14730] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2021] [Revised: 10/12/2021] [Accepted: 10/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) are preventable adverse outcomes consequent to prenatal alcohol exposure. Supplemental choline confers neuroprotection to the alcohol-exposed offspring, but its actions outside the brain are unclear. We previously reported that prenatal exposure of mice to 4.5 g/kg of alcohol decreased placental weight in females only, but decreased body weight and liver-to-body weight ratio and increased brain-to-body weight ratio in both sexes. Here we test the hypotheses that a lower alcohol dose will elicit similar outcomes, and that concurrent choline treatment will mitigate these outcomes. METHODS Pregnant C57BL/6J mice were gavaged with alcohol (3 g/kg; Alc) or maltodextrin (MD) from embryonic day (E) 8.5-17.5. Some also received a subcutaneous injection of 100 mg/kg choline chloride (Alc + Cho, MD + Cho). Outcomes were evaluated on E17.5. RESULTS Alc dams had lower gestational weight gain than MD; this was normalized by choline. In males, Alc decreased placental weight whereas choline increased placental efficiency, and Alc + Cho (vs. MD) tended to further reduce placental weight and increase efficiency. Despite no significant alcohol effects on these measures, choline increased fetal body weight but not brain weight, thus reducing brain-to-body weight ratio in both sexes. This ratio was also lower in the Alc + Cho (vs. MD) fetuses. Alc reduced liver weight and the liver-to-body weight ratio; choline did not improve these. Placental weight and efficiency correlated with litter size, whereas placental efficiency correlated with fetal morphometric measurements. CONCLUSIONS Choline prevents an alcohol-induced reduction in gestational weight gain and fetal body weight and corrects fetal brain sparing, consistent with clinical findings of improvements in alcohol-exposed children born to mothers receiving choline supplementation. Importantly, we show that choline enhances placental efficiency in the alcohol-exposed offspring but does not normalize fetal liver growth. Our findings support choline supplementation during pregnancy to mitigate the severity of FASD and emphasize the need to examine choline's actions in different organ systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sze Ting Cecilia Kwan
- Nutrition Research Institute, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Kannapolis, North Carolina, USA
| | - Dane K Ricketts
- Nutrition Research Institute, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Kannapolis, North Carolina, USA
| | - Brandon H Presswood
- Nutrition Research Institute, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Kannapolis, North Carolina, USA
| | - Susan M Smith
- Nutrition Research Institute, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Kannapolis, North Carolina, USA.,Department of Nutrition, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Sandra M Mooney
- Nutrition Research Institute, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Kannapolis, North Carolina, USA.,Department of Nutrition, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
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19
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Warton FL, Molteno CD, Warton CMR, Wintermark P, Lindinger NM, Dodge NC, Zöllei L, van der Kouwe AJW, Carter RC, Jacobson JL, Jacobson SW, Meintjes EM. Maternal choline supplementation mitigates alcohol exposure effects on neonatal brain volumes. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2021; 45:1762-1774. [PMID: 34342017 DOI: 10.1111/acer.14672] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2021] [Revised: 06/07/2021] [Accepted: 07/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) is associated with smaller regional and global brain volumes. In rats, gestational choline supplementation mitigates adverse developmental effects of ethanol exposure. Our recent randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled maternal choline supplementation trial showed improved somatic and functional outcomes in infants at 6.5 and 12 months postpartum. Here, we examined whether maternal choline supplementation protected the newborn brain from PAE-related volume reductions and, if so, whether these volume changes were associated with improved infant recognition memory. METHODS Fifty-two infants born to heavy-drinking women who had participated in a choline supplementation trial during pregnancy underwent structural magnetic resonance imaging with a multi-echo FLASH protocol on a 3T Siemens Allegra MRI (median age = 2.8 weeks postpartum). Subcortical regions were manually segmented. Recognition memory was assessed at 12 months on the Fagan Test of Infant Intelligence (FTII). We examined the effects of choline on regional brain volumes, whether choline-related volume increases were associated with higher FTII scores, and the degree to which the regional volume increases mediated the effects of choline on the FTII. RESULTS Usable MRI data were acquired in 50 infants (choline: n = 27; placebo: n = 23). Normalized volumes were larger in six of 12 regions in the choline than placebo arm (t ≥ 2.05, p ≤ 0.05) and were correlated with the degree of maternal choline adherence (β ≥ 0.28, p ≤ 0.04). Larger right putamen and corpus callosum were related to higher FTII scores (r = 0.36, p = 0.02) with a trend toward partial mediation of the choline effect on recognition memory. CONCLUSIONS High-dose choline supplementation during pregnancy mitigated PAE-related regional volume reductions, with larger volumes associated with improved 12-month recognition memory. These results provide the first evidence that choline may be neuroprotective against PAE-related brain structural deficits in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fleur L Warton
- Department of Human Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.,Biomedical Engineering Research Centre, Division of Biomedical Engineering, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.,Neuroscience Institute, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Christopher D Molteno
- Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Christopher M R Warton
- Department of Human Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Pia Wintermark
- Department of Pediatrics, Montreal Children's Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Nadine M Lindinger
- Department of Human Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.,ACSENT Laboratory, Department of Psychology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Neil C Dodge
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan, USA
| | - Lilla Zöllei
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Andre J W van der Kouwe
- Department of Human Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.,Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, Massachusetts, USA
| | - R Colin Carter
- Division of Pediatric Emergency Medicine, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
| | - Joseph L Jacobson
- Department of Human Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.,Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan, USA
| | - Sandra W Jacobson
- Department of Human Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.,Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan, USA
| | - Ernesta M Meintjes
- Department of Human Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.,Biomedical Engineering Research Centre, Division of Biomedical Engineering, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.,Neuroscience Institute, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.,Cape Universities Body Imaging Centre, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
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20
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Carter RC, Georgieff MK, Ennis KM, Dodge NC, Wainwright H, Meintjes EM, Duggan CP, Molteno CD, Jacobson JL, Jacobson SW. Prenatal alcohol-related alterations in maternal, placental, neonatal, and infant iron homeostasis. Am J Clin Nutr 2021; 114:1107-1122. [PMID: 34091657 PMCID: PMC8408869 DOI: 10.1093/ajcn/nqab165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2020] [Accepted: 04/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) is associated with postnatal iron deficiency (ID), which has been shown to exacerbate deficits in growth, cognition, and behavior seen in fetal alcohol spectrum disorders. However, the mechanisms underlying PAE-related ID remain unknown. OBJECTIVES We aimed to examine biochemical measures of iron homeostasis in the mother, placenta, neonate, and 6.5-month-old infant. METHODS In a prenatally recruited, prospective longitudinal birth cohort in South Africa, 206 gravidas (126 heavy drinkers and 80 controls) were interviewed regarding alcohol, cigarette, and drug use and diet at 3 prenatal visits. Hemoglobin, ferritin, and soluble transferrin receptor (sTfR) were assayed twice during pregnancy and urinary hepcidin:creatinine was assayed once. Infant ferritin and hemoglobin were measured at 2 weeks and 6.5 months and sTfR was measured at 6.5 months. Histopathological examinations were conducted on 125 placentas and iron transport assays (iron regulatory protein-2, transferrin receptor-1, divalent metal transporter-1, ferroportin-1, and iron concentrations) were conducted on 63. RESULTS In multivariable regression models, prenatal drinking frequency (days/week) was related to higher maternal hepcidin and to sequestration of iron into storage at the expense of erythropoiesis in mothers and neonates, as evidenced by a lower hemoglobin (g/dL)-to-log(ferritin) (ug/L) ratio [mothers: raw regression coefficient (β) = -0.21 (95% CI: -0.35 to -0.07); neonates: β = -0.15 (95% CI: -0.24 to -0.06)]. Drinking frequency was also related to decreased placental ferroportin-1:transferrin receptor-1 (β = -0.57 for logged values; 95% CI: -1.03 to -0.10), indicating iron-restricted placental iron transport. At 6.5 months, drinking frequency was associated with lower hemoglobin (β = -0.18; 95% CI: -0.33 to -0.02), and increased prevalences of ID (β = 0.09; 95% CI: 0.02-0.17) and ID anemia (IDA) (β = 0.13; 95% CI: 0.04-0.23). In causal inference analyses, the PAE-related increase in IDA was partially mediated by decreased neonatal hemoglobin:log(ferritin), and the decrease in neonatal hemoglobin:log(ferritin) was partially mediated by decreased maternal hemoglobin:log(ferritin). CONCLUSIONS In this study, greater PAE was associated with an unfavorable profile of maternal-fetal iron homeostasis, which may play mechanistic roles in PAE-related ID later in infancy.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Michael K Georgieff
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Kathleen M Ennis
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Neil C Dodge
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Helen Wainwright
- National Health Laboratory Service, Department of Pathology, Groote Schuur Hospital, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Ernesta M Meintjes
- Department of Human Biology, University of Cape Town Faculty of Health Sciences, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Christopher P Duggan
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Christopher D Molteno
- Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of Cape Town Faculty of Health Sciences, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Joseph L Jacobson
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA,Department of Human Biology, University of Cape Town Faculty of Health Sciences, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Sandra W Jacobson
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA,Department of Human Biology, University of Cape Town Faculty of Health Sciences, Cape Town, South Africa,Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of Cape Town Faculty of Health Sciences, Cape Town, South Africa
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21
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Brink LT, Nel DG, Hall DR, Odendaal HJ. The Intricate Interactions between Maternal Smoking and Drinking During Pregnancy and Birthweight Z-Scores of Preterm Births. JOURNAL OF WOMEN'S HEALTH CARE AND MANAGEMENT 2021; 2:10.47275/2692-0948-121. [PMID: 34723283 PMCID: PMC8553154 DOI: 10.47275/2692-0948-121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The extent to which smoking and drinking in a local community is associated with nutrition and Z-scores of infants from spontaneous preterm deliveries, is uncertain. AIM To investigate associations of different levels of maternal smoking and drinking in spontaneous preterm birth with infant birthweight Z-scores. METHODS Information, including gestational age (determined by earliest ultrasound), maternal arm circumference (measured at enrolment), smoking-drinking data (obtained up to 4 occasions), birthweight data (obtained from medical records) and birthweight Z-scores (calculated from INTERGROWTH- 21st study), collected over a period of nine years was used to compare 407 spontaneous preterm births with 3 493 spontaneous term births Analyses of variance, correlations and multiple regression were performed in STATISTICA. RESULTS Women with spontaneous preterm birth, had significantly lower gravidity and smaller arm circumference when compared to women with spontaneous birth at term. Women with spontaneous preterm birth drank more and heavier during pregnancy, and more smoked. Gestational age at birth was significantly longer in heavy-smokers-heavy-drinkers compared to heavy-smokers-no-drinkers (7.1 days) and in no-smokers-heavy-drinkers when compared to no-smokers-no-drinkers (11.2 days). Birthweight was significantly lower in low-smokers-heavy-drinkers when compared to low-smokers-no-drinkers (240g) and in heavy-smokers-low-drinkers when compared to no-smokers-low-drinkers (273g). Birthweight Z-scores were significantly lower in low-smokers-heavy-drinkers when compared to low-smokers-low-drinkers and low-smokers-no-drinkers; and, also significantly lower in heavy-smokers-low-drinkers when compared to low-smokers-low-drinkers and no-smokers-low-drinkers. CONCLUSION Alcohol aggravates the detrimental effect of smoking on birthweight and birthweight Z-scores but seems to counteract the negative association of smoking with gestational age.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucy T Brink
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, South Africa
| | - Daan G Nel
- Department of Statistics and Actuarial Science, Stellenbosch University, South Africa
| | - David R Hall
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, South Africa
| | - Hein J Odendaal
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, South Africa
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22
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Zhang X, Hashimoto JG, Han X, Zhang F, Linhardt RJ, Guizzetti M. Characterization of Glycosaminoglycan Disaccharide Composition in Astrocyte Primary Cultures and the Cortex of Neonatal Rats. Neurochem Res 2021; 46:595-610. [PMID: 33398638 PMCID: PMC9116028 DOI: 10.1007/s11064-020-03195-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2020] [Revised: 11/12/2020] [Accepted: 12/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Astrocytes are major producers of the extracellular matrix (ECM), which is involved in the plasticity of the developing brain. In utero alcohol exposure alters neuronal plasticity. Glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) are a family of polysaccharides present in the extracellular space; chondroitin sulfate (CS)- and heparan sulfate (HS)-GAGs are covalently bound to core proteins to form proteoglycans (PGs). Hyaluronic acid (HA)-GAGs are not bound to core proteins. In this study we investigated the contribution of astrocytes to CS-, HS-, and HA-GAG production by comparing the makeup of these GAGs in cortical astrocyte cultures and the neonatal rat cortex. We also explored alterations induced by ethanol in GAG and core protein levels in astrocytes. Finally, we investigated the relative expression in astrocytes of CS-PGs of the lectican family of proteins, major components of the brain ECM, in vivo using translating ribosome affinity purification (TRAP) (in Aldh1l1-EGFP-Rpl10a mice. Cortical astrocytes produce low levels of HA and show low expression of genes involved in HA biosynthesis compared to the whole developing cortex. Astrocytes have high levels of chondroitin-0-sulfate (C0S)-GAGs (possibly because of a higher sulfatase enzyme expression) and HS-GAGs. Ethanol upregulates C4S-GAGs as well as brain-specific lecticans neurocan and brevican, which are highly enriched in astrocytes of the developing cortex in vivo. These results begin to elucidate the role of astrocytes in the biosynthesis of CS- HS- and HA-GAGs, and suggest that ethanol-induced alterations of neuronal development may be in part mediated by increased astrocyte GAG levels and neurocan and brevican expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaolu Zhang
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA.
- VA Portland Health Care System, R&D39, 3710 SW Veterans Hospital Road, Portland, OR, 97239, USA.
| | - Joel G Hashimoto
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA
- VA Portland Health Care System, R&D39, 3710 SW Veterans Hospital Road, Portland, OR, 97239, USA
| | - Xiaorui Han
- Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Biomedical Engineering, Chemical and Biological Engineering, and Biology; Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY, USA
| | - Fuming Zhang
- Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Biomedical Engineering, Chemical and Biological Engineering, and Biology; Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY, USA
| | - Robert J Linhardt
- Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Biomedical Engineering, Chemical and Biological Engineering, and Biology; Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY, USA
| | - Marina Guizzetti
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA.
- VA Portland Health Care System, R&D39, 3710 SW Veterans Hospital Road, Portland, OR, 97239, USA.
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23
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Jacobson SW, Hoyme HE, Carter RC, Dodge NC, Molteno CD, Meintjes EM, Jacobson JL. Evolution of the Physical Phenotype of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders from Childhood through Adolescence. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2021; 45:395-408. [PMID: 33320363 DOI: 10.1111/acer.14534] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2020] [Revised: 10/28/2020] [Accepted: 11/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND This paper reports findings from the first longitudinal study on the evolution of the physical phenotypes of fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) and partial FAS (PFAS) from early childhood through adolescence. METHODS The sample consisted of 155 children (78 males and 77 females) born to women recruited at an antenatal clinic serving a Cape Coloured (mixed ancestry) population in Cape Town, South Africa. Two expert FASD dysmorphologists, blind regarding prenatal alcohol exposure, independently evaluated each child's growth and dysmorphology at 4 clinics conducted over an 11-year period. Case conferences were held to reach consensus regarding which children had FAS or PFAS growth and physical features using the Revised Institute of Medicine (2005) guidelines. RESULTS The prevalence of the physical phenotype was stable across the 4 ages for about half of the children with FAS and about one-third of those with PFAS but more variable for the others. Test-retest reliability was substantial for the FAS phenotype, but poorer for PFAS. Two distinct patterns were seen: a "strong phenotype" that was consistently identified and a less consistent one in which dysmorphic features and/or anthropometric deficits fluctuated or diminished with age. The physical phenotype was most apparent during early childhood and least apparent during puberty, due to differences in timing of the growth spurt and the evolving adult face. Short palpebral features and small head circumference diminished with age, flat philtrum fluctuated, while thin vermilion and weight and height restriction were stable. CONCLUSIONS Key facial features that characterize FASD in early childhood diminish or evolve in some individuals, making diagnostic examinations that rely on these characteristics most sensitive during early childhood and school age. Moreover, puberty poses classification problems due to variability in timing of the growth spurt. Given that several features and small head circumference diminished with age, many individuals would be misdiagnosed if only examined at a later age.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra W Jacobson
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA.,Department of Human Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.,Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - H Eugene Hoyme
- Sanford Children's Genomic Medicine Consortium, Sanford Health, Sioux Falls, SD, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, University of Arizona College of Medicine, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - R Colin Carter
- Department of Emergency Medicine and Pediatrics, Institute of Human Nutrition, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Neil C Dodge
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Christopher D Molteno
- Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Ernesta M Meintjes
- Department of Human Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.,MRC/UCT Medical Imaging Research Unit, Division of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Joseph L Jacobson
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA.,Department of Human Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.,Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
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24
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Mahnke AH, Sideridis GD, Salem NA, Tseng AM, Carter RC, Dodge NC, Rathod AB, Molteno CD, Meintjes EM, Jacobson SW, Miranda RC, Jacobson JL. Infant circulating MicroRNAs as biomarkers of effect in fetal alcohol spectrum disorders. Sci Rep 2021; 11:1429. [PMID: 33446819 PMCID: PMC7809131 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-80734-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2020] [Accepted: 12/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) can result in cognitive and behavioral disabilities and growth deficits. Because alcohol-related neurobehavioral deficits may occur in the absence of overt dysmorphic features or growth deficits, there is a need to identify biomarkers of PAE that can predict neurobehavioral impairment. In this study, we assessed infant plasma extracellular, circulating miRNAs (exmiRNAs) obtained from a heavily exposed Cape Town cohort to determine whether these can be used to predict PAE-related growth restriction and cognitive impairment. PAE, controlling for smoking as a covariate, altered 27% of expressed exmiRNAs with clinically-relevant effect sizes (Cohen's d ≥ 0.4). Moreover, at 2 weeks, PAE increased correlated expression of exmiRNAs across chromosomes, suggesting potential co-regulation. In confirmatory factor analysis, the variance in expression for PAE-altered exmiRNAs at 2 weeks and 6.5 months was best described by three-factor models. Pathway analysis found that factors at 2 weeks were associated with (F1) cell maturation, cell cycle inhibition, and somatic growth, (F2) cell survival, apoptosis, cardiac development, and metabolism, and (F3) cell proliferation, skeletal development, hematopoiesis, and inflammation, and at 6.5 months with (F1) neurodevelopment, neural crest/mesoderm-derivative development and growth, (F2) immune system and inflammation, and (F3) somatic growth and cardiovascular development. Factors F3 at 2 weeks and F2 at 6.5 months partially mediated PAE-induced growth deficits, and factor F3 at 2 weeks partially mediated effects of PAE on infant recognition memory at 6.5 months. These findings indicate that infant exmiRNAs can help identify infants who will exhibit PAE-related deficits in growth and cognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda H Mahnke
- Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, Bryan, TX, 77807, USA.
- Women's Health in Neuroscience Program, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, Bryan, TX, 77807, USA.
| | - Georgios D Sideridis
- Harvard Medical School, Boston Children's Hospital, Institutional Centers for Clinical and Translational Research, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Nihal A Salem
- Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, Bryan, TX, 77807, USA
| | - Alexander M Tseng
- Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, Bryan, TX, 77807, USA
| | - R Colin Carter
- Departments of Pediatrics and Emergency Medicine, Institute of Human Nutrition, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Neil C Dodge
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, 48201, USA
| | - Aniruddha B Rathod
- Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, Bryan, TX, 77807, USA
| | - Christopher D Molteno
- Departments of Human Biology and of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Ernesta M Meintjes
- Division of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Human Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Sandra W Jacobson
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, 48201, USA
- Departments of Human Biology and of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Rajesh C Miranda
- Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, Bryan, TX, 77807, USA
- Women's Health in Neuroscience Program, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, Bryan, TX, 77807, USA
| | - Joseph L Jacobson
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, 48201, USA.
- Departments of Human Biology and of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.
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25
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Warton FL, Taylor PA, Warton CMR, Molteno CD, Wintermark P, Zöllei L, van der Kouwe AJ, Jacobson JL, Jacobson SW, Meintjes EM. Reduced fractional anisotropy in projection, association, and commissural fiber networks in neonates with prenatal methamphetamine exposure. Dev Neurobiol 2020; 80:381-398. [PMID: 33010114 PMCID: PMC7855045 DOI: 10.1002/dneu.22784] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2020] [Revised: 07/31/2020] [Accepted: 09/16/2020] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Prenatal exposure to methamphetamine is associated with neurostructural changes, including alterations in white matter microstructure. This study investigated the effects of methamphetamine exposure on microstructure of global white matter networks in neonates. Pregnant women were interviewed beginning in mid-pregnancy regarding their methamphetamine use. Diffusion weighted imaging sets were acquired for 23 non-sedated neonates. White matter bundles associated with pairs of target regions within five networks (commissural fibers, left and right projection fibers, and left and right association fibers) were estimated using probabilistic tractography, and fractional anisotropy (FA) and diffusion measures determined within each connection. Multiple regression analyses showed that increasing methamphetamine exposure was significantly associated with reduced FA in all five networks, after control for potential confounders. Increased exposure was associated with lower axial diffusivity in the right association fiber network and with increased radial diffusivity in the right projection and left and right association fiber networks. Within the projection and association networks a subset of individual connections showed a negative correlation between FA and methamphetamine exposure. These findings are consistent with previous reports in older children and demonstrate that microstructural changes associated with methamphetamine exposure are already detectable in neonates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fleur L Warton
- Department of Human Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- UCT Medical Imaging Research Unit, Division of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Paul A Taylor
- Department of Human Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- UCT Medical Imaging Research Unit, Division of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- African Institute for Mathematical Sciences, Muizenberg, South Africa
- Scientific and Statistical Computing Core, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MA, USA
| | - Christopher M R Warton
- Department of Human Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Christopher D Molteno
- Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Pia Wintermark
- Department of Pediatrics, McGill University, Montreal Children's Hospital, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Lilla Zöllei
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USA
| | - Andre J van der Kouwe
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USA
| | - Joseph L Jacobson
- Department of Human Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Sandra W Jacobson
- Department of Human Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Ernesta M Meintjes
- Department of Human Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- UCT Medical Imaging Research Unit, Division of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
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Dodge NC, Thomas KGF, Meintjes EM, Molteno CD, Jacobson JL, Jacobson SW. Reduced Hippocampal Volumes Partially Mediate Effects of Prenatal Alcohol Exposure on Spatial Navigation on a Virtual Water Maze Task in Children. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2020; 44:844-855. [PMID: 32196695 DOI: 10.1111/acer.14310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2020] [Accepted: 02/12/2020] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) has been linked to poorer performance on the Morris water maze (MWM), a test of spatial navigation in rodents that is dependent on hippocampal functioning. We recently confirmed these findings in children with PAE on a human analog of the MWM, the virtual water maze (VWM). Previous studies have shown that the hippocampus is particularly sensitive to PAE. Our aim was to determine whether hippocampal volume mediates the relation between PAE and virtual navigation. METHODS VWM and MRI hippocampal data were collected from 50 right-handed 10-year-old children in a heavily exposed Cape Town, South African sample. PAE data had been collected from their mothers during pregnancy, and the children were examined by expert fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) dysmorphologists. In the VWM, the participant attempts to learn the location of a hidden platform in a virtual pool of water across a series of learning trials using only distal room cues. Hippocampal volumes were derived using FreeSurfer from MRI scans administered within 1 week of completing the VWM task. RESULTS Both the fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS)/partial FAS and nonsyndromal heavy-exposed (HE) groups had smaller hippocampal volumes than controls. PAE was associated with reduced right hippocampal volumes even after control for total intracranial volume (ICV). Hippocampal volume was also positively associated with VWM performance. The relation between PAE and VWM performance was partially mediated by right hippocampal volume but not by total ICV. CONCLUSIONS These data confirm previous reports linking PAE to poorer spatial navigation on the VWM and are the first to provide direct evidence that volume reductions in this region partially mediate the relation of FASD diagnosis to place learning, suggesting that PAE specifically impairs the ability to encode the spatial information necessary for successful location of the hidden platform on a navigation task.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neil C Dodge
- From the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan, United States
| | - Kevin G F Thomas
- ACSENT Laboratory, Department of Psychology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Ernesta M Meintjes
- Department of Human Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Christopher D Molteno
- Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Joseph L Jacobson
- From the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan, United States.,Department of Human Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.,Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Sandra W Jacobson
- From the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan, United States.,Department of Human Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.,Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
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De La Fuente-Ortega E, Plaza-Briceño W, Vargas-Robert S, Haeger P. Prenatal Ethanol Exposure Misregulates Genes Involved in Iron Homeostasis Promoting a Maladaptation of Iron Dependent Hippocampal Synaptic Transmission and Plasticity. Front Pharmacol 2019; 10:1312. [PMID: 31787896 PMCID: PMC6855190 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2019.01312] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2019] [Accepted: 10/15/2019] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Prenatal ethanol exposure (PAE) induces behavioral maladptations in offspring, including a deficit in memory formation which is part of the umbrella sign of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder. Clinical and preclinical studies have shown that iron depletion exacerbates cognitive problems in offspring exposed to ethanol in utero and that PAE promotes dysregulation in brain iron homeostasis. However, the mechanisms underlying brain iron dysregulation and neuronal activity defects in adolescent offspring of PAE are unclear and poorly understand. Here, we used a PAE rat model to analyze messenger RNA (mRNA) and protein expression of iron homeostasis genes such as transferrin receptor (TfR), divalent metal transporter (DMT1), ferroportin (FPN1), and ferritin (FT) in brain areas associated with memory formation such as the prefrontal cortex (PFC), ventral tegmental area, and hippocampus. Interestingly, we found that 21 day old PAE rats have higher mRNA expression of DMT1 in the PFC, and TfR in the hippocampus, compared to control animals. In contrast FPN has lower mRNA expression in the PFC, and FT and FPN1 have lower expression in the hippocampus. In agreement with these results, we found a 1.5–2 fold increase of TfR and DMT1 protein levels both in the hippocampus and the PFC. Additionally, using an electrophysiological approach, we found that in hippocampal slices from PAE rats, iron treatment decreased long-term potentiation (LTP), but not AMPAR basal transmission (AMPAR fEPSP). In contrast, in control slices Fe-NTA did not affect LTP but decreased significantly the AMPAR fEPSP. Meanwhile, iron chelation with deferiprone decreased AMPAR transmission in PAE and control slices and decreased LTP only in controls slices. These results suggest that PAE affects iron homeostasis of specific brain areas—PFC and hippocampus—which could be involved in maladaptive cognition observed in this animal model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erwin De La Fuente-Ortega
- Departamento de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Católica del Norte, Coquimbo, Chile
| | - Wladimir Plaza-Briceño
- Departamento de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Católica del Norte, Coquimbo, Chile
| | - Sofía Vargas-Robert
- Departamento de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Católica del Norte, Coquimbo, Chile
| | - Paola Haeger
- Departamento de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Católica del Norte, Coquimbo, Chile
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Dodge NC, Thomas KGF, Meintjes EM, Molteno CD, Jacobson JL, Jacobson SW. Spatial Navigation in Children and Young Adults with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2019; 43:2536-2546. [PMID: 31593324 DOI: 10.1111/acer.14210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2019] [Accepted: 09/30/2019] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Rodent studies have consistently shown that prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) impairs performance on the Morris water maze (MWM), a test of spatial navigation. A previous study comparing boys with fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) to controls found poorer performance on the virtual water maze (VWM), a human analogue of the MWM. We examined PAE effects on virtual navigation in both sexes using the VWM in a moderately exposed Detroit cohort (N = 104; mean = 19.4 year) and a heavily exposed Cape Town, South African cohort (N = 62; mean = 10.4 year). METHODS The task requires the participant to learn the location of a hidden platform in a virtual pool of water. The set of acquisition trials requires the participant to learn the location of the hidden platform and to return to that location repeatedly. The single-probe trial requires the participant to return to that location without knowing that the platform has been removed. RESULTS No effects of FASD diagnostic group or PAE were detected on virtual navigation in the Detroit moderately exposed cohort. By contrast, in the more heavily exposed Cape Town cohort, the FAS/partial FAS (PFAS) group took longer to locate the hidden platform during acquisition than nonsyndromal heavily exposed (HE) and control groups, an effect that persisted even after controlling for IQ. Among boys, both the FAS/PFAS and HE groups performed more poorly than controls during acquisition, and both boys and girls born to women who binge drank performed more poorly than those born to abstainers/light drinkers. Both amount and frequency of PAE were related to poorer performance during the probe trial at 10 years of age. CONCLUSIONS These data demonstrate deficits in spatial navigation among heavily exposed syndromal boys and girls and in nonsyndromal exposed boys.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neil C Dodge
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan
| | - Kevin G F Thomas
- ACSENT Laboratory, Department of Psychology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Ernesta M Meintjes
- Division of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Human Biology, University of Cape Town Faculty of Health Sciences, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Christopher D Molteno
- Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of Cape Town Faculty of Health Sciences, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Joseph L Jacobson
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan.,Division of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Human Biology, University of Cape Town Faculty of Health Sciences, Cape Town, South Africa.,Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of Cape Town Faculty of Health Sciences, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Sandra W Jacobson
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan.,Division of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Human Biology, University of Cape Town Faculty of Health Sciences, Cape Town, South Africa.,Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of Cape Town Faculty of Health Sciences, Cape Town, South Africa
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Saini N, Helfrich KK, Kwan STC, Huebner SM, Abazi J, Flentke GR, Blohowiak SE, Kling PJ, Smith SM. Alcohol's Dysregulation of Maternal-Fetal IL-6 and p-STAT3 Is a Function of Maternal Iron Status. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2019; 43:2332-2343. [PMID: 31524964 DOI: 10.1111/acer.14200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2019] [Accepted: 09/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) causes long-term growth and neurodevelopmental deficits that are worsened by maternal iron deficiency (ID). In our preclinical rat model, PAE causes fetal anemia, brain ID, and elevated hepatic iron via increased maternal and fetal hepcidin synthesis. These changes are normalized by a prenatal iron-fortified (IF) diet. Here, we hypothesize that iron status and PAE dysregulate the major upstream pathways that govern hepcidin production-EPO/BMP6/SMAD and IL-6/JAK2/STAT3. METHODS Pregnant, Long Evans rat dams consumed ID (2 to 6 ppm iron), iron-sufficient (IS, 100 ppm iron), or IF (500 ppm iron) diets and received alcohol (5 g/kg) or isocaloric maltodextrin daily from gestational days (GD) 13.5 to 19.5. Protein and gene expression were quantified in the 6 experimental groups at GD 20.5. RESULTS PAE did not affect Epo or Bmp6 expression, but reduced p-SMAD1/5/8/SMAD1/5/8 protein ratios in both IS and ID maternal and fetal liver (all p's < 0.01). In contrast, PAE stimulated maternal hepatic expression of Il-6 (p = 0.03) and elevated p-STAT3/STAT3 protein ratios in both IS and ID maternal and fetal liver (all p's < 0.02). PAE modestly elevated maternal Il-1β, Tnf-α, and Ifn-γ. Fetal cytokine responses to PAE were muted compared with dams, and PAE did not affect hepatic Il-6 (p = 0.78) in IS and ID fetuses. Dietary iron fortification sharply attenuated Il-6 expression in response to PAE, with IF driving a 150-fold decrease (p < 0.001) in maternal liver and a 10-fold decrease (p < 0.01) in fetal liver. The IF diet also normalized p-STAT3/STAT3 ratios in both maternal and fetal liver. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that alcohol-driven stimulation of the IL-6/JAK2/STAT3 pathway mediates the elevated hepcidin observed in the PAE dam and fetus. Normalization of these signals by IF suggests that dysregulated hepcidin is driven by alcohol's disruption of the IL-6/JAK2/STAT3 pathway. Prenatal dietary IF represents a potential therapeutic approach for PAE that warrants further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nipun Saini
- Nutrition Research Institute, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Kannapolis, North Carolina
| | - Kaylee K Helfrich
- Nutrition Research Institute, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Kannapolis, North Carolina
| | - Sze Ting Cecilia Kwan
- Nutrition Research Institute, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Kannapolis, North Carolina
| | - Shane M Huebner
- Department of Nutritional Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin
| | - Juna Abazi
- Department of Nutritional Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin
| | - George R Flentke
- Nutrition Research Institute, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Kannapolis, North Carolina
| | - Sharon E Blohowiak
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin
| | - Pamela J Kling
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin
| | - Susan M Smith
- Nutrition Research Institute, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Kannapolis, North Carolina
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Desyibelew HD, Dadi AF. Burden and determinants of malnutrition among pregnant women in Africa: A systematic review and meta-analysis. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0221712. [PMID: 31490956 PMCID: PMC6730925 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0221712] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2019] [Accepted: 08/13/2019] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Malnutrition in pregnancy remains unacceptably high across all regions of Africa though promising progresses have been made globally. Primary studies might not be sufficient to portrait a comprehensive picture of malnutrition during pregnancy and its main risk factors. Therefore, we intended to review the burden of malnutrition, for this specific review implies to protein energy malnutrition, during pregnancy in Africa to present its magnitude and determinant factors. METHODS We did a systematic review of observational studies published from January 1/2008 to January 31/2018. The CINAHL(EBSCO), MEDLINE (via Ovid), Emcare, PubMed databases and Google scholar were searched. Articles quality was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale and studies with fair to good quality were included. We pooled malnutrition prevalence and an odds ratio estimates for risk factors after checking for heterogeneity and publication bias. This review has been registered in Prospero with a protocol number CRD42018114949. RESULT 23 studies involving 20,672 pregnant women were included. Using a random effect model, the overall pooled prevalence of malnutrition among pregnant women in Africa was 23.5% (95%CI: 17.72-29.32; I2 = 98.5%). Based on the current review pooled odds ratio finding; rural residency (POR = 2.6%; 95%CI: 1.48-4.65; I2 = 0%), low educational status of partners (POR = 1.7%; 95%CI: 1.19-2.53; I2 = 54.8%), multiple pregnancy (POR = 2.15%; 95%CI: 1.27-3.64; I2 = 0%) and poor nutritional indicators (POR = 2.03%; 95%CI: 1.72-2.4, I2 = 0%) were positively determine maternal malnutrition. On contrary, better household economic status (POR = 0.47%; 95%CI: 0.36-0.62; I2 = 24.2%) negatively determine maternal malnutrition. CONCLUSION A significant number of the pregnant population in Africa are suffering of malnutrition, above 10% of the standard acceptable malnutrition rate. Thus, efforts should be renewed to ensure a proper and widespread implementation of programs that would address issues identified in the current review to reduce the burden of malnutrition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanna Demelash Desyibelew
- Department of Public Health Nutrition, School of Public Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Bahir Dar University, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia
| | - Abel Fekadu Dadi
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Institute of Public Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia
- College of Medicine and Public Health, School of Public Health, Flinders University, Bedford Park, Australia
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Kozonova J, Telegenko L, Salavelis A. THE SWEET ICES FOR PREGNANT WOMEN. FOOD SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY 2019. [DOI: 10.15673/fst.v13i1.1309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Daily food consumption norms of an average woman and a pregnant woman have been analysed. It has been established that in a pregnant woman’s diet, it is necessary to increase the content of proteins, fibre, vitamins C, E, D, PP, and B, and reduce fats, carbohydrates (easily digestible), vitamins B5 and H, sodium, magnesium, salts, and water. Taking into account the above-mentioned requirements, eight recipe compositions of sweet ices based on plant raw materials have been suggested. The recipes were selected by linear programming using MS Excel. The products have a low calorific content (26–137 kcal per 80 g), and an increased nutritional value (due to vitamin C, carotene, etc.). For the first time, cereals, various types of seeds, nuts, have been put into the recipe of sweet ices, as well as raw materials, which eliminate physiological complications during pregnancy. The products developed differ in their composition and are made without sugar. However, some recipes include small quantities of honey as it is highly palatable. The chemical composition of the new sweet products has been studied and analysed in details and sugar/acid indices have been calculated. The developed ices have a slightly acidic taste or no acidity at all, which corresponds to the values of sugar/acid indices 13.4–26.6, while the sample from the store, selected for comparison, contains a large amount of sugars, as evidenced by the cloying taste and high sugar/acid index (more than 30). The source of fatty acids in sweet ice for pregnant women Joy is almond nuts. The results of the chromatographic study have shown that this product as for the quantitative fatty acid composition, meets the current requirements. We recommend introducing the sweet ice manufacture technology on the equipment already in use in canneries. The products are formed (poured into moulds where wooden sticks are then inserted) in a Hassia machine. One of the main operations, freezing, is done in a quick freezer GyroFreze. We also recommend manufacturing sweet ices using existing restaurant equipment.
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Development and validation of a quantitative choline food frequency questionnaire for use with drinking and non-drinking pregnant women in Cape Town, South Africa. Nutr J 2018; 17:108. [PMID: 30466439 PMCID: PMC6251124 DOI: 10.1186/s12937-018-0411-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2018] [Accepted: 10/24/2018] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Although animal and human studies have demonstrated interactions between dietary choline and fetal alcohol spectrum disorders, dietary choline deficiency in pregnancy is common in the US and worldwide. We sought to develop and validate a quantitative food frequency questionnaire (QFFQ) to estimate usual daily choline intake in pregnant mothers. Methods A panel of nutrition experts developed a Choline-QFFQ food item list, including sources with high choline content and the most commonly consumed choline-containing foods in the target population. A data base for choline content of each item was compiled. For reliability and validity testing in a prospective longitudinal cohort, 123 heavy drinking Cape Coloured pregnant women and 83 abstaining/light-drinking controls were recruited at their first antenatal clinic visit. At 3 prenatal study visits, each gravida was interviewed about alcohol, smoking, and drug use, and administered a 24-hour recall interview and the Choline-QFFQ. Results Across all visits and assessments, > 78% of heavy drinkers and controls reported choline intake below the Dietary Reference Intakes adequate intake level (450 mg/day). Women reported a decrease in choline intake over time on the QFFQ. Reliability of the QFFQ across visits was good-to-acceptable for 2 of 4 group-level tests and 4 of 5 individual-level tests for both drinkers and controls. When compared with 24-hr recall data, validity of the QFFQ was good-to-acceptable for 3 of 4 individual-level tests and 3 of 5 group-level tests. For controls, validity was good-to-acceptable for all 4 individual-level tests and all 5 group-level tests. Conclusions To our knowledge, this is the first quantitative choline food frequency screening questionnaire to be developed and validated for use with both heavy and non-drinking pregnant women and the first to be used in the Cape Coloured community in South Africa. Given the high prevalence of inadequate choline intake and the growing evidence that maternal choline supplementation can mitigate some of the adverse effects of prenatal alcohol exposure, this tool may be useful for both research and future clinical outreach programs.
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Sebastiani G, Borrás-Novell C, Casanova MA, Pascual Tutusaus M, Ferrero Martínez S, Gómez Roig MD, García-Algar O. The Effects of Alcohol and Drugs of Abuse on Maternal Nutritional Profile during Pregnancy. Nutrients 2018; 10:E1008. [PMID: 30072661 PMCID: PMC6116049 DOI: 10.3390/nu10081008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2018] [Revised: 07/24/2018] [Accepted: 08/01/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The consumption of alcohol and drugs of abuse among pregnant women has experienced a significant increase in the last decades. Suitable maternal nutritional status is crucial to maintain the optimal environment for fetal development but if consumption of alcohol or drugs of abuse disrupt the intake of nutrients, the potential teratogenic effects of these substances increase. Despite evidence of the importance of nutrition in addicted pregnant women, there is a lack of information on the effects of alcohol and drugs of abuse on maternal nutritional status; so, the focus of this review was to provide an overview on the nutritional status of addicted mothers and fetuses. Alcohol and drugs consumption can interfere with the absorption of nutrients, impairing the quality and quantity of proper nutrient and energy intake, resulting in malnutrition especially of micronutrients (vitamins, omega⁻3, folic acid, zinc, choline, iron, copper, selenium). When maternal nutritional status is compromised by alcohol and drugs of abuse the supply of essential nutrients are not available for the fetus; this can result in fetal abnormalities like Intrauterine Growth Restriction (IUGR) or Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD). It is critical to find a strategy to reduce fetal physical and neurological impairment as a result of prenatal alcohol and drugs of abuse exposure combined with poor maternal nutrition. Prenatal nutrition interventions and target therapy are required that may reverse the development of such abnormalities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giorgia Sebastiani
- Neonatology Unit, Hospital Clinic-Maternitat, ICGON, BCNatal, C/Sabino Arana 1, 08028 Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Cristina Borrás-Novell
- Neonatology Unit, Hospital Clinic-Maternitat, ICGON, BCNatal, C/Sabino Arana 1, 08028 Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Miguel Alsina Casanova
- Neonatology Unit, Hospital Clinic-Maternitat, ICGON, BCNatal, C/Sabino Arana 1, 08028 Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Mireia Pascual Tutusaus
- Neonatology Unit, Hospital Clinic-Maternitat, ICGON, BCNatal, C/Sabino Arana 1, 08028 Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Silvia Ferrero Martínez
- Barcelona Center for Maternal Fetal and Neonatal Medicine, Hospital Sant Joan de Déu, 08028 Barcelona, Spain.
| | - María Dolores Gómez Roig
- Barcelona Center for Maternal Fetal and Neonatal Medicine, Hospital Sant Joan de Déu, 08028 Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Oscar García-Algar
- Neonatology Unit, Hospital Clinic-Maternitat, ICGON, BCNatal, C/Sabino Arana 1, 08028 Barcelona, Spain.
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Jacobson SW, Carter RC, Molteno CD, Meintjes EM, Senekal M, Lindinger NM, Dodge NC, Zeisel SH, Duggan CP, Jacobson JL. Feasibility and Acceptability of Maternal Choline Supplementation in Heavy Drinking Pregnant Women: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2018; 42:1315-1326. [PMID: 29750366 PMCID: PMC6028314 DOI: 10.1111/acer.13768] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2018] [Accepted: 04/16/2018] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Choline, an essential nutrient, serves as a methyl-group donor for DNA methylation and is a constituent of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine and a precursor to major components of cell membranes. Findings from animal studies suggest that choline supplementation during pregnancy can mitigate adverse effects of prenatal alcohol exposure on growth and neurocognitive function. We conducted a randomized, double-blind exploratory trial to examine feasibility and acceptability of a choline supplementation intervention during pregnancy. METHODS Seventy heavy drinkers, recruited in mid-pregnancy, were randomly assigned to receive a daily oral dose of 2 g of choline or a placebo from time of enrollment until delivery. Each dose consisted of an individually wrapped packet of powder that, when mixed with water, produced a sweet tasting grape-flavored drink. Adherence was assessed by collecting used and unused drink packets on a monthly basis and tabulating the number used. Side effects were assessed in monthly interviews. Blood samples obtained at enrollment and at 4 and 12 weeks after randomization were assayed for plasma choline concentration. RESULTS Adherence was good-to-excellent (median doses taken = 74.0%; interquartile range = 53.9 to 88.7%) and was not related to a range of sociodemographic characteristics or to alcohol consumption ascertained using a timeline follow-back interview. By 4 weeks, plasma choline concentrations were significantly higher in the choline supplementation than the placebo arm, and this group difference continued to be evident at 12 weeks. The only side effect was a small increase in nausea/dyspepsia. No effects were seen for diarrhea, vomiting, muscle stiffness, blood pressure, or body odor changes. CONCLUSIONS This study demonstrated that a choline supplementation program with very heavy drinkers during pregnancy is feasible even among highly disadvantaged, poorly educated women. The broad acceptability of this intervention is indicated by our finding that adherence was not related to maternal education, intellectual function, depression, nutritional status, or alcohol use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra W. Jacobson
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan, USA
- Department of Human Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - R. Colin Carter
- Division of Pediatric Emergency Medicine, Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital of New York, and Institute for Human Nutrition, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
| | - Christopher D. Molteno
- Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Ernesta M. Meintjes
- Department of Human Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- MRC/UCT Medical Imaging Research Unit, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Marjanne Senekal
- Division of Nutrition, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Nadine M. Lindinger
- Department of Human Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Neil C. Dodge
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan, USA
| | - Steven H. Zeisel
- Nutrition Research Institute, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Kannapolis, NC 28081, USA
| | - Christopher P. Duggan
- Center for Nutrition, Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Boston Children’s Hospital/Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Joseph L. Jacobson
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan, USA
- Department of Human Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
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Jacobson SW, Carter RC, Molteno CD, Stanton ME, Herbert J, Lindinger NM, Lewis CE, Dodge NC, Hoyme HE, Zeisel SH, Meintjes EM, Duggan CP, Jacobson JL. Efficacy of Maternal Choline Supplementation During Pregnancy in Mitigating Adverse Effects of Prenatal Alcohol Exposure on Growth and Cognitive Function: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2018; 42:1327-1341. [PMID: 29750367 PMCID: PMC6028282 DOI: 10.1111/acer.13769] [Citation(s) in RCA: 91] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2018] [Accepted: 05/02/2018] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND We recently demonstrated the acceptability and feasibility of a randomized, double-blind choline supplementation intervention for heavy drinking women during pregnancy. In this study, we report our results relating to the efficacy of this intervention in mitigating adverse effects of prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) on infant growth and cognitive function. METHODS Sixty-nine Cape Coloured (mixed ancestry) heavy drinkers in Cape Town, South Africa, recruited in mid-pregnancy, were randomly assigned to receive a daily oral dose of either 2 g of choline or placebo from time of enrollment until delivery. Each dose consisted of an individually wrapped packet of powder that, when mixed with water, produced a sweet tasting grape-flavored drink. The primary outcome, eyeblink conditioning (EBC), was assessed at 6.5 months. Somatic growth was measured at birth, 6.5, and 12 months, recognition memory and processing speed on the Fagan Test of Infant Intelligence, at 6.5 and 12 months. RESULTS Infants born to choline-treated mothers were more likely to meet criterion for conditioning on EBC than the placebo group. Moreover, within the choline arm, degree of maternal adherence to the supplementation protocol strongly predicted EBC performance. Both groups were small at birth, but choline-treated infants showed considerable catch-up growth in weight and head circumference at 6.5 and 12 months. At 12 months, the infants in the choline treatment arm had higher novelty preference scores, indicating better visual recognition memory. CONCLUSIONS This exploratory study is the first to provide evidence that a high dose of choline administered early in pregnancy can mitigate adverse effects of heavy PAE on EBC, postnatal growth, and cognition in human infants. These findings are consistent with studies of alcohol-exposed animals that have demonstrated beneficial effects of choline supplementation on classical conditioning, learning, and memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra W. Jacobson
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan, USA
- Department of Human Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - R. Colin Carter
- Division of Pediatric Emergency Medicine, Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital of New York, and Institute for Human Nutrition, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
| | - Christopher D. Molteno
- Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Mark E. Stanton
- Department of Psychology, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware, USA
| | - Jane Herbert
- Department of Psychology, University of Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Nadine M. Lindinger
- Department of Human Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Catherine E. Lewis
- Department of Human Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Neil C. Dodge
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan, USA
| | - H. Eugene Hoyme
- Department of Pediatrics, Sanford School of Medicine, University of South Dakota, Sioux Falls, South Dakota; College of Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona
| | - Steven. H. Zeisel
- Nutrition Research Institute, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Kannapolis, NC 28081, USA
| | - Ernesta M. Meintjes
- Department of Human Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- MRC/UCT Medical Imaging Research Unit, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Christopher P. Duggan
- Center for Nutrition, Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Boston Children’s Hospital/Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Joseph L. Jacobson
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan, USA
- Department of Human Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
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Wilhelm CJ, Hashimoto JG, Roberts ML, Zhang X, Goeke CM, Bloom SH, Guizzetti M. Plasminogen activator system homeostasis and its dysregulation by ethanol in astrocyte cultures and the developing brain. Neuropharmacology 2018; 138:193-209. [PMID: 29885422 PMCID: PMC6310223 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2018.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2017] [Revised: 05/29/2018] [Accepted: 06/04/2018] [Indexed: 10/30/2022]
Abstract
In utero alcohol exposure can cause fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD), characterized by structural brain abnormalities and long-lasting behavioral and cognitive dysfunction. Neuronal plasticity is affected by in utero alcohol exposure and can be modulated by extracellular proteolysis. Plasmin is a major extracellular serine-protease whose activation is tightly regulated by the plasminogen activator (PA) system. In the present study we explored the effect of ethanol on the expression of the main components of the brain PA system in sex-specific cortical astrocyte primary cultures in vitro and in the cortex and hippocampus of post-natal day (PD) 9 male and female rats. We find that ethanol alters the PA system in astrocytes and in the developing brain. In particular, the expression of tissue-type PA (tPA), encoded by the gene Plat, is consistently upregulated by ethanol in astrocytes in vitro and in the cortex and hippocampus in vivo. Astrocytes exhibit endogenous plasmin activity that is increased by ethanol and recombinant tPA and inhibited by tPA silencing. We also find that tPA is expressed by astrocytes of the developing cortex and hippocampus in vivo. All components of the PA system investigated, with the exception of Neuroserpin/Serpini1, are expressed at higher levels in astrocyte cultures than in the developing brain, suggesting that astrocytes are major producers of these proteins in the brain. In conclusion, astrocyte PA system may play a major role in the modulation of neuronal plasticity; ethanol-induced upregulation of tPA levels and plasmin activity may be responsible for altered neuronal plasticity in FASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clare J Wilhelm
- VA Portland Health Care System, Portland, OR, 97239, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, 97239, USA
| | - Joel G Hashimoto
- VA Portland Health Care System, Portland, OR, 97239, USA; Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, 97239, USA
| | | | | | - Calla M Goeke
- VA Portland Health Care System, Portland, OR, 97239, USA; Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, 97239, USA
| | | | - Marina Guizzetti
- VA Portland Health Care System, Portland, OR, 97239, USA; Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, 97239, USA.
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Carter RC, Chen J, Li Q, Deyssenroth M, Dodge NC, Wainwright HC, Molteno CD, Meintjes EM, Jacobson JL, Jacobson SW. Alcohol-Related Alterations in Placental Imprinted Gene Expression in Humans Mediate Effects of Prenatal Alcohol Exposure on Postnatal Growth. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2018; 42:1431-1443. [PMID: 29870072 DOI: 10.1111/acer.13808] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2018] [Accepted: 05/30/2018] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND A growing body of evidence in animal models has implicated alcohol-induced alterations in epigenetic programming as an important mechanism in fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD). Imprinted genes, a subset of epigenetically regulated genes that are sensitive to the prenatal environment, are chiefly involved in growth and neurobehavior. We tested the hypothesis that alterations in placental imprinted gene expression mediate fetal alcohol growth restriction. METHODS Placental expression of 109 genes previously shown to be imprinted and expressed in the placenta was assessed using the NanoString™ nCounter Analysis System in flash-frozen samples from 34 heavy drinkers and 31 control women in Cape Town, South Africa, from whom prospective pregnancy alcohol consumption data had been obtained. Length/height, weight, and head circumference were measured at 6.5 and 12 months and at an FASD diagnostic clinic (at ages 1.1 to 4.6 years) that we organized. Imprinted gene expression between exposed and control placentas was compared using the limma R package. The relation of alcohol exposure to World Health Organization length-for-age z-scores was examined before and after inclusion of expression for each alcohol-related imprinted gene, using hierarchical mixed regression models with repeated measures. RESULTS Heavy drinkers averaged 8 standard drinks on 2 to 3 days/wk (vs. 0 for controls). Prenatal alcohol exposure was associated with smaller length/height and weight during the postnatal period. Heavy exposure was related to alterations in expression of 11 of 93 expressed imprinted genes, including increased expression of 5 genes found to be negatively associated with growth and decreased expression of 3 genes positively associated with growth. Alcohol-related alterations in expression of 5 genes statistically mediated the effect of prenatal alcohol exposure on length. CONCLUSIONS These findings identify alcohol-related alterations in placental imprinted gene expression as potential biomarkers of adverse effect in FASD and suggest that these alterations may play a mechanistic role in fetal alcohol growth restriction. Future studies are needed to determine whether alterations in imprinted gene expression also mediate FASD neurobehavioral deficits and whether such alterations are amenable to intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Colin Carter
- Division of Pediatric Emergency Medicine and Institute for Human Nutrition, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, New York
| | - Jia Chen
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York
| | - Qian Li
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York
| | - Maya Deyssenroth
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York
| | - Neil C Dodge
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan
| | - Helen C Wainwright
- National Health Laboratory Service, Groote Schuur Hospital, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Christopher D Molteno
- National Health Laboratory Service, Groote Schuur Hospital, Cape Town, South Africa
- the Departments of Human Biology and of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of Cape Town Faculty of Health Sciences, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Ernesta M Meintjes
- National Health Laboratory Service, Groote Schuur Hospital, Cape Town, South Africa
- the Departments of Human Biology and of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of Cape Town Faculty of Health Sciences, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Joseph L Jacobson
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan
- National Health Laboratory Service, Groote Schuur Hospital, Cape Town, South Africa
- the Departments of Human Biology and of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of Cape Town Faculty of Health Sciences, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Sandra W Jacobson
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan
- National Health Laboratory Service, Groote Schuur Hospital, Cape Town, South Africa
- the Departments of Human Biology and of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of Cape Town Faculty of Health Sciences, Cape Town, South Africa
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Prenatal methamphetamine exposure is associated with reduced subcortical volumes in neonates. Neurotoxicol Teratol 2017; 65:51-59. [PMID: 29069607 DOI: 10.1016/j.ntt.2017.10.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2017] [Revised: 10/19/2017] [Accepted: 10/20/2017] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Prenatal exposure to methamphetamine is associated with a range of neuropsychological, behavioural and cognitive deficits. A small number of imaging studies suggests that these may be mediated by neurostructural changes, including reduced volumes of specific brain regions. This study investigated potential volumetric changes in the brains of neonates with prenatal methamphetamine exposure. To our knowledge no previous studies have examined methamphetamine effects on regional brain volumes at this age. STUDY DESIGN Mothers were recruited antenatally and interviewed regarding methamphetamine use during pregnancy. Mothers in the exposure group reported using methamphetamine≥twice/month during pregnancy; control infants had no exposure to methamphetamine or other drugs and minimal exposure to alcohol. MRI scans were performed in the first postnatal month, following which anatomical images were processed using FreeSurfer. Subcortical and cerebellar regions were manually segmented and their volumes determined using FreeView. Pearson correlations were used to analyse potential associations between methamphetamine exposure and regional volumes. The associations between methamphetamine exposure and regional volumes were then examined adjusting for potential confounding variables. RESULTS Methamphetamine exposure was associated with reduced left and right caudate and thalamus volumes. The association in the right caudate remained significant following adjustment for potential confounding variables. CONCLUSIONS Our findings showing reduced caudate and thalamus volumes in neonates with prenatal methamphetamine exposure are consistent with previous findings in older exposed children, and demonstrate that these changes are already detectable in neonates. Continuing research is warranted to examine whether reduced subcortical volumes are predictive of cognitive, behavioural and affective impairment in older children.
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