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Nakano T, Natsuyama T, Tsuji N, Katayama N, Ueda J, Saito S. Longitudinal Evaluation Using Preclinical 7T-Magnetic Resonance Imaging/Spectroscopy on Prenatally Dose-Dependent Alcohol-Exposed Rats. Metabolites 2023; 13:metabo13040527. [PMID: 37110185 PMCID: PMC10142287 DOI: 10.3390/metabo13040527] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2023] [Revised: 03/24/2023] [Accepted: 04/04/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Prenatal alcohol exposure causes many detrimental alcohol-induced defects in children, collectively known as fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD). This study aimed to evaluate a rat model of FASD, in which alcohol was administered at progressively increasing doses during late pregnancy, using preclinical magnetic resonance (MR) imaging (MRI) and MR spectroscopy (MRS). Wistar rats were orally administered 2.5 mL/day of ethanol (25% concentration) on gestational day 15, and postnatal fetuses were used as FASD models. Four groups were used: a control group (non-treatment group) and three groups of FASD model rats that received one, two, or four doses of ethanol, respectively, during the embryonic period. Body weight was measured every other week until eight weeks of age. MRI and MRS were performed at 4 and 8 weeks of age. The volume of each brain region was measured using acquired T2-weighted images. At 4 weeks of age, body weight and cortex volume were significantly lower in the three FASD model groups (2.5 × 1: 304 ± 6 mm3, p < 0.05; 2.5 × 2: 302 ± 8 mm3, p < 0.01; 2.5 × 4: 305 ± 6 mm3, p < 0.05) than they were in the non-treatment group (non-treatment: 313 ± 6 mm3). The FASD model group that received four doses of alcohol (2.5 × 4: 0.72 ± 0.09, p < 0.05) had lower Taurine/Cr values than the non-treatment group did (non-treatment: 0.91 ± 0.15), an effect that continued at 8 weeks of age (non-treatment: 0.63 ± 0.09; 2.5 × 4: 0.52 ± 0.09, p < 0.05). This study is the first to assess brain metabolites and volume over time using MRI and MRS. Decreases in brain volume and taurine levels were observed at 4 and 8 weeks of age, suggesting that the effects of alcohol persisted beyond adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tensei Nakano
- Department of Medical Physics and Engineering, Division of Health Sciences, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Osaka 560-0871, Japan
| | - Tomohiro Natsuyama
- Course of Medical Physics and Engineering, School of Allied Health Sciences, Osaka University, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - Naoki Tsuji
- Course of Medical Physics and Engineering, School of Allied Health Sciences, Osaka University, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - Nanami Katayama
- Course of Medical Physics and Engineering, School of Allied Health Sciences, Osaka University, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - Junpei Ueda
- Department of Medical Physics and Engineering, Division of Health Sciences, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Osaka 560-0871, Japan
| | - Shigeyoshi Saito
- Department of Medical Physics and Engineering, Division of Health Sciences, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Osaka 560-0871, Japan
- Course of Medical Physics and Engineering, School of Allied Health Sciences, Osaka University, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
- Department of Advanced Medical Technologies, National Cardiovascular and Cerebral Research Center, Suita, Osaka 564-8565, Japan
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Meombe Mbolle A, Thapa S, Bukiya AN, Jiang H. High-resolution imaging in studies of alcohol effect on prenatal development. ADVANCES IN DRUG AND ALCOHOL RESEARCH 2023; 3:10790. [PMID: 37593366 PMCID: PMC10433240 DOI: 10.3389/adar.2023.10790] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/19/2023]
Abstract
Fetal alcohol syndrome represents the leading known preventable cause of mental retardation. FAS is on the most severe side of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders that stem from the deleterious effects of prenatal alcohol exposure. Affecting as many as 1 to 5 out of 100 children, FASD most often results in brain abnormalities that extend to structure, function, and cerebral hemodynamics. The present review provides an analysis of high-resolution imaging techniques that are used in animals and human subjects to characterize PAE-driven changes in the developing brain. Variants of magnetic resonance imaging such as magnetic resonance microscopy, magnetic resonance spectroscopy, diffusion tensor imaging, along with positron emission tomography, single-photon emission computed tomography, and photoacoustic imaging, are modalities that are used to study the influence of PAE on brain structure and function. This review briefly describes the aforementioned imaging modalities, the main findings that were obtained using each modality, and touches upon the advantages/disadvantages of each imaging approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Augustine Meombe Mbolle
- Department Medical Engineering, College of Engineering and Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, United States
| | - Shiwani Thapa
- Department Pharmacology, Addiction Science and Toxicology, College of Medicine, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, United States
| | - Anna N. Bukiya
- Department Pharmacology, Addiction Science and Toxicology, College of Medicine, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, United States
| | - Huabei Jiang
- Department Medical Engineering, College of Engineering and Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, United States
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Lopatynska-Mazurek M, Pankowska A, Gibula-Tarlowska E, Pietura R, Kotlinska JH. Rapamycin Improves Recognition Memory and Normalizes Amino-Acids and Amines Levels in the Hippocampal Dentate Gyrus in Adult Rats Exposed to Ethanol during the Neonatal Period. Biomolecules 2021; 11:362. [PMID: 33673489 PMCID: PMC7997340 DOI: 10.3390/biom11030362] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2021] [Revised: 02/21/2021] [Accepted: 02/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), a serine/ threonine kinase, is implicated in synaptic plasticity by controlling protein synthesis. Research suggests that ethanol exposure during pregnancy alters the mTOR signaling pathway in the fetal hippocampus. Thus, we investigated the influence of pre-treatment with rapamycin, an mTORC1 inhibitor, on the development of recognition memory deficits in adult rats that were neonatally exposed to ethanol. In the study, male and female rat pups received ethanol (5 g/kg/day) by intragastric intubation at postanatal day (PND 4-9), an equivalent to the third trimester of human pregnancy. Rapamycin (3 and 10 mg/kg) was given intraperitoneally before every ethanol administration. Short- and long-term recognition memory was assessed in the novel object recognition (NOR) task in adult (PND 59/60) rats. Locomotor activity and anxiety-like behavior were also evaluated to exclude the influence of such behavior on the outcome of the memory task. Moreover, the effects of rapamycin pre-treatment during neonatal ethanol exposure on the content of amino-acids and amines essential for the proper development of cognitive function in the dentate gyrus (DG) of the hippocampus was evaluated using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H MRS) in male adult (PND 60) rats. Our results show the deleterious effect of ethanol given to neonatal rats on long-term recognition memory in adults. The effect was more pronounced in male rather than female rats. Rapamycin reversed this ethanol-induced memory impairment and normalized the levels of amino acids and amines in the DG. This suggests the involvement of mTORC1 in the deleterious effect of ethanol on the developing brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Malgorzata Lopatynska-Mazurek
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacodynamics, Medical University, Lublin, 20-059 Lublin, Poland; (M.L.-M.); (E.G.-T.)
| | - Anna Pankowska
- Department of Radiography, Medical University, Lublin, 20-081 Lublin, Poland; (A.P.); (R.P.)
| | - Ewa Gibula-Tarlowska
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacodynamics, Medical University, Lublin, 20-059 Lublin, Poland; (M.L.-M.); (E.G.-T.)
| | - Radoslaw Pietura
- Department of Radiography, Medical University, Lublin, 20-081 Lublin, Poland; (A.P.); (R.P.)
| | - Jolanta H. Kotlinska
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacodynamics, Medical University, Lublin, 20-059 Lublin, Poland; (M.L.-M.); (E.G.-T.)
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Almeida L, Andreu-Fernández V, Navarro-Tapia E, Aras-López R, Serra-Delgado M, Martínez L, García-Algar O, Gómez-Roig MD. Murine Models for the Study of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders: An Overview. Front Pediatr 2020; 8:359. [PMID: 32760684 PMCID: PMC7373736 DOI: 10.3389/fped.2020.00359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2019] [Accepted: 05/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Prenatal alcohol exposure is associated to different physical, behavioral, cognitive, and neurological impairments collectively known as fetal alcohol spectrum disorder. The underlying mechanisms of ethanol toxicity are not completely understood. Experimental studies during human pregnancy to identify new diagnostic biomarkers are difficult to carry out beyond genetic or epigenetic analyses in biological matrices. Therefore, animal models are a useful tool to study the teratogenic effects of alcohol on the central nervous system and analyze the benefits of promising therapies. Animal models of alcohol spectrum disorder allow the analysis of key variables such as amount, timing and frequency of ethanol consumption to describe the harmful effects of prenatal alcohol exposure. In this review, we aim to synthetize neurodevelopmental disabilities in rodent fetal alcohol spectrum disorder phenotypes, considering facial dysmorphology and fetal growth restriction. We examine the different neurodevelopmental stages based on the most consistently implicated epigenetic mechanisms, cell types and molecular pathways, and assess the advantages and disadvantages of murine models in the study of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, the different routes of alcohol administration, and alcohol consumption patterns applied to rodents. Finally, we analyze a wide range of phenotypic features to identify fetal alcohol spectrum disorder phenotypes in murine models, exploring facial dysmorphology, neurodevelopmental deficits, and growth restriction, as well as the methodologies used to evaluate behavioral and anatomical alterations produced by prenatal alcohol exposure in rodents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Almeida
- Maternal and Child Health and Development Network II (SAMID II), Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), Barcelona, Spain
- Fundació Sant Joan de Déu, Barcelona, Spain
- BCNatal Barcelona Center for Maternal Fetal and Neonatal Medicine, Hospital Sant Joan de Déu and Hospital Clínic, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Vicente Andreu-Fernández
- Maternal and Child Health and Development Network II (SAMID II), Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), Barcelona, Spain
- Nutrition and Health Deparment, Valencian International University (VIU), Valencia, Spain
- Grup de Recerca Infancia i Entorn (GRIE), Institut D'investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Elisabet Navarro-Tapia
- Maternal and Child Health and Development Network II (SAMID II), Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), Barcelona, Spain
- BCNatal Barcelona Center for Maternal Fetal and Neonatal Medicine, Hospital Sant Joan de Déu and Hospital Clínic, Barcelona, Spain
- Grup de Recerca Infancia i Entorn (GRIE), Institut D'investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Rosa Aras-López
- Maternal and Child Health and Development Network II (SAMID II), Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), Barcelona, Spain
- Congenital Malformations Lab, Institute of Medicine and Molecular Genetic (INGEMM), Institute for Health Research of La Paz Universitary Hospital (IdiPAZ), Madrid, Spain
| | - Mariona Serra-Delgado
- BCNatal Barcelona Center for Maternal Fetal and Neonatal Medicine, Hospital Sant Joan de Déu and Hospital Clínic, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Leopoldo Martínez
- Maternal and Child Health and Development Network II (SAMID II), Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), Barcelona, Spain
- Congenital Malformations Lab, Institute of Medicine and Molecular Genetic (INGEMM), Institute for Health Research of La Paz Universitary Hospital (IdiPAZ), Madrid, Spain
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, Hospital Universitario La Paz, Madrid, Spain
| | - Oscar García-Algar
- Maternal and Child Health and Development Network II (SAMID II), Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), Barcelona, Spain
- Grup de Recerca Infancia i Entorn (GRIE), Institut D'investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Neonatology, Hospital Clínic-Maternitat, ICGON, IDIBAPS, BCNatal, Barcelona, Spain
| | - María Dolores Gómez-Roig
- Maternal and Child Health and Development Network II (SAMID II), Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), Barcelona, Spain
- Fundació Sant Joan de Déu, Barcelona, Spain
- BCNatal Barcelona Center for Maternal Fetal and Neonatal Medicine, Hospital Sant Joan de Déu and Hospital Clínic, Barcelona, Spain
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Tang S, Xu S, Zhu W, Gullapalli RP, Mooney SM. Alterations in the whole brain network organization after prenatal ethanol exposure. Eur J Neurosci 2020; 51:2110-2118. [PMID: 31855302 PMCID: PMC7211128 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.14653] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2019] [Revised: 10/20/2019] [Accepted: 12/12/2019] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND People with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) often have structural or functional alterations of the central nervous system, including changes in brain network organization. These have been associated with neuropsychological deficits, but outcomes are not consistent across studies. We used a rat model of FASD to assess brain network alterations in males and females following ethanol exposure during a prenatal period similar to the first half of gestation in humans. METHODS Pregnant Long Evans rats were given an ethanol-containing or isocaloric non-ethanol diet from gestation day 6 to 20. Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging was performed on offspring in young adulthood. Graph theoretical analysis was used to assess properties associated with the whole brain network organization, with a focus on segregation, integration, and small-world organization-a feature which allows specialized local information processing (segregation) and simultaneously efficient global information sharing (integration). RESULTS Ethanol-exposed females showed a significant decrease in small-worldness compared with control females or with ethanol-exposed males. Compared to control females, the proportion of animals with atypically high path length (1 standard deviation higher than the grand average) was significantly higher in ethanol-exposed females, indicating that the alteration in small-world organization is driven by decreased network integration. No significant effects were seen in males. CONCLUSION The results revealed that prenatal ethanol exposure disrupts the balance between network segregation and integration in young adult female rats. The whole brain network is less integrated after ethanol exposure in the females, suggesting wide-spread reduction of long-range regional communication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shiyu Tang
- Department of Diagnostic Radiology and Nuclear Medicine,
University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore MD 21201
- Center for Advanced Imaging Research (CAIR), University of
Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201
| | - Su Xu
- Department of Diagnostic Radiology and Nuclear Medicine,
University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore MD 21201
- Center for Advanced Imaging Research (CAIR), University of
Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201
| | - Wenjun Zhu
- Department of Diagnostic Radiology and Nuclear Medicine,
University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore MD 21201
- Center for Advanced Imaging Research (CAIR), University of
Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201
| | - Rao P. Gullapalli
- Department of Diagnostic Radiology and Nuclear Medicine,
University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore MD 21201
- Center for Advanced Imaging Research (CAIR), University of
Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201
| | - Sandra M. Mooney
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Maryland School of
Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, now at UNC Nutrition Research Institute, Department
of Nutrition, UNC Chapel Hill, Kannapolis, NC 28081
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O’Neill J, O’Connor MJ, Yee V, Ly R, Narr K, Alger JR, Levitt JG. Differential neuroimaging indices in prefrontal white matter in prenatal alcohol-associated ADHD versus idiopathic ADHD. Birth Defects Res 2019; 111:797-811. [PMID: 30694611 PMCID: PMC6650301 DOI: 10.1002/bdr2.1460] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2018] [Revised: 12/08/2018] [Accepted: 01/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is common in fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) but also in patients without prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE). Many patients diagnosed with idiopathic ADHD may actually have ADHD and covert PAE, a treatment-relevant distinction. METHODS We compared proton magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging (MRSI; N = 44) and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI; N = 46) of the anterior corona radiata (ACR)-a key fiber tract in models of ADHD-at 1.5 T in children with ADHD with PAE (ADHD+PAE), children with ADHD without PAE (ADHD-PAE), children without ADHD with PAE (non-ADHD+PAE), and children with neither ADHD nor PAE (non-ADHD-PAE, i.e., typically developing controls). Levels of choline-compounds (Cho) were the main MRSI endpoint, given interest in dietary choline for FASD; the main DTI endpoint was fractional anisotropy (FA), as ACR FA may reflect ADHD-relevant executive control functions. RESULTS For ACR Cho, there was an ADHD-by-PAE interaction (p = 0.038) whereby ACR Cho was 26.7% lower in ADHD+PAE than in ADHD-PAE children (p < 0.0005), but there was no significant ACR Cho difference between non-ADHD+PAE and non-ADHD-PAE children. Voxelwise false-discovery rate (FDR)-corrected analysis of DTI revealed significantly (q ≤ 0.0101-0.05) lower FA in ACR for subjects with PAE (ADHD+PAE or non-ADHD+PAE) than for subjects without PAE (ADHD-PAE or non-ADHD-PAE). There was no significant effect of ADHD on FA. Thus, in overlapping samples, effects of PAE on Cho and FA were observed in the same white-matter tract. CONCLUSIONS These findings point to tract focal, white-matter pathology possibly specific for ADHD+PAE subjects. Low Cho may derive from abnormal choline metabolism; low FA suggests suboptimal white-matter integrity in PAE. More advanced MRSI and DTI-and neurocognitive assessments-may better distinguish ADHD+PAE from ADHD-PAE, helping identify covert cases of FASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph O’Neill
- Division of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, UCLA Semel institute for Neuroscience, Los Angeles, CA
| | - Mary J. O’Connor
- Division of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, UCLA Semel institute for Neuroscience, Los Angeles, CA
| | - Victor Yee
- Division of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, UCLA Semel institute for Neuroscience, Los Angeles, CA
| | - Ronald Ly
- Division of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, UCLA Semel institute for Neuroscience, Los Angeles, CA
| | | | - Jeffrey R. Alger
- Department of Neurology, UCLA Los Angeles, CA
- Neurospectroscopics, Inc., Encino, CA
| | - Jennifer G. Levitt
- Division of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, UCLA Semel institute for Neuroscience, Los Angeles, CA
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Kaebisch E, Fuss TL, Vandergrift L, Toews K, Habbel P, Cheng LL. Applications of high-resolution magic angle spinning MRS in biomedical studies I-cell line and animal models. NMR IN BIOMEDICINE 2017; 30:10.1002/nbm.3700. [PMID: 28301071 PMCID: PMC5501085 DOI: 10.1002/nbm.3700] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2016] [Revised: 10/04/2016] [Accepted: 12/31/2016] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
High-resolution magic angle spinning (HRMAS) MRS allows for direct measurements of non-liquid tissue and cell specimens to present valuable insights into the cellular metabolisms of physiological and pathological processes. HRMAS produces high-resolution spectra comparable to those obtained from solutions of specimen extracts but without complex metabolite extraction processes, and preserves the tissue cellular structure in a form suitable for pathological examinations following spectroscopic analysis. The technique has been applied in a wide variety of biomedical and biochemical studies and become one of the major platforms of metabolomic studies. By quantifying single metabolites, metabolite ratios, or metabolic profiles in their entirety, HRMAS presents promising possibilities for diagnosis and prediction of clinical outcomes for various diseases, as well as deciphering of metabolic changes resulting from drug therapies or xenobiotic interactions. In this review, we evaluate HRMAS MRS results on animal models and cell lines reported in the literature, and present the diverse applications of the method for the understanding of pathological processes and the effectiveness of therapies, development of disease animal models, and new progress in HRMAS methodology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva Kaebisch
- Departments of Radiology and Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, 02114 USA
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - Taylor L. Fuss
- Departments of Radiology and Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, 02114 USA
| | - Lindsey Vandergrift
- Departments of Radiology and Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, 02114 USA
| | - Karin Toews
- Departments of Radiology and Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, 02114 USA
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - Piet Habbel
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - Leo L. Cheng
- Departments of Radiology and Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, 02114 USA
- Corresponding Author: Leo L. Cheng, PhD, 149 13 Street, CNY-6, Charlestown, MA 02129, Ph.617-724-6593, Fax.617-726-5684,
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Neuroimaging effects of prenatal alcohol exposure on the developing human brain: a magnetic resonance imaging review. Acta Neuropsychiatr 2015; 27:251-69. [PMID: 25780875 DOI: 10.1017/neu.2015.12] [Citation(s) in RCA: 117] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE This paper reviews the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) literature on the effects of prenatal alcohol exposure on the developing human brain. METHOD A literature search was conducted through the following databases: PubMed, PsycINFO and Google Scholar. Combinations of the following search terms and keywords were used to identify relevant studies: 'alcohol', 'fetal alcohol spectrum disorders', 'fetal alcohol syndrome', 'FAS', 'FASD', 'MRI', 'DTI', 'MRS', 'neuroimaging', 'children' and 'infants'. RESULTS A total of 64 relevant articles were identified across all modalities. Overall, studies reported smaller total brain volume as well as smaller volume of both the white and grey matter in specific cortical regions. The most consistently reported structural MRI findings were alterations in the shape and volume of the corpus callosum, as well as smaller volume in the basal ganglia and hippocampi. The most consistent finding from diffusion tensor imaging studies was lower fractional anisotropy in the corpus callosum. Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy studies are few to date, but showed altered neurometabolic profiles in the frontal and parietal cortex, thalamus and dentate nuclei. Resting-state functional MRI studies reported reduced functional connectivity between cortical and deep grey matter structures. Discussion There is a critical gap in the literature of MRI studies in alcohol-exposed children under 5 years of age across all MRI modalities. The dynamic nature of brain maturation and appreciation of the effects of alcohol exposure on the developing trajectory of the structural and functional network argue for the prioritisation of studies that include a longitudinal approach to understanding this spectrum of effects and potential therapeutic time points.
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Magnetic resonance-based imaging in animal models of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder. Neuropsychol Rev 2011; 21:167-85. [PMID: 21445552 DOI: 10.1007/s11065-011-9164-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2011] [Accepted: 03/01/2011] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques, such as magnetic resonance microscopy (MRM), diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), and magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS), have recently been applied to the study of both normal and abnormal structure and neurochemistry in small animals. Herein, findings from studies in which these methods have been used for the examination of animal models of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) are discussed. Emphasis is placed on results of imaging studies in fetal and postnatal mice that have highlighted the developmental stage dependency of prenatal ethanol exposure-induced CNS defects. Consideration is also given to the promise of methodological advances to allow in vivo studies of aberrant brain and behavior relationships in model animals and to the translational nature of this work.
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Murawski NJ, Stanton ME. Effects of dose and period of neonatal alcohol exposure on the context preexposure facilitation effect. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2011; 35:1160-70. [PMID: 21352243 DOI: 10.1111/j.1530-0277.2011.01449.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Alcohol exposure in the rat on postnatal days (PD) 4 to 9 is known to partially damage the hippocampus and to impair hippocampus-dependent behavioral tasks. We previously reported that PD4 to 9 alcohol exposure eliminated the context preexposure facilitation effect (CPFE) in juvenile rats, a hippocampus-dependent variant of contextual fear conditioning. In the CPFE, context exposure and immediate shock occur on successive occasions and this produces conditioned freezing relative to a control group that is not preexposed to the training context. Here, we extend our earlier findings by examining the effects of neonatal alcohol administered at multiple doses or over different neonatal exposure periods. METHOD Rat pups (male and female) were exposed to a single binge dose of alcohol at one of 3 doses (2.75, 4.00, or 5.25 g/kg/d) over PD4 to 9 (Experiment 1) or to 5.25 g over PD4 to 6 or PD7 to 9 (Experiment 2). Sham-intubated (SI) and undisturbed (UD) rats served as controls. On PD31, rats were preexposed to either the training context (Pre) or an alternate context (No-Pre). On PD32, rats received an immediate unsignaled footshock (1.5 mA, 2 seconds) in the training context. Finally, on PD33, all rats were returned to the training context and tested for contextual freezing over a 5-minute period. RESULTS Undisturbed- and SI-Pre rats showed the CPFE, i.e., context preexposure facilitated contextual conditioning, relative to their No-Pre counterparts. The immediate shock deficit was present in all No-Pre groups, regardless of previous alcohol exposure. In Experiment 1, blood alcohol level was negatively correlated with contextual freezing. Group 2.75 g-Pre did not differ from controls. Group 4.00 g-Pre froze significantly less than Groups UD- and SI-Pre but more than Group 5.25-Pre, which showed the immediate shock deficit. In Experiment 2, alcohol exposure limited to PD7 to 9, but not PD4 to 6, disrupted the CPFE. CONCLUSIONS This is the first demonstration of dose-related impairment on a hippocampus-dependent task produced by neonatal alcohol exposure in the rat. Exposure period effects support previous studies of alcohol and spatial learning. The CPFE is a more sensitive behavioral task that can be used to elucidate developmental alcohol-induced deficits over a range of alcohol doses that are more relevant to human exposure levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathen J Murawski
- Department of Psychology, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716, USA.
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Perrine SA, Ghoddoussi F, Michaels MS, Hyde EM, Kuhn DM, Galloway MP. MDMA administration decreases serotonin but not N-acetylaspartate in the rat brain. Neurotoxicology 2010; 31:654-61. [PMID: 20800616 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuro.2010.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2009] [Revised: 06/09/2010] [Accepted: 08/18/2010] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
In animals, repeated administration of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) reduces markers of serotonergic activity and studies show similar serotonergic deficits in human MDMA users. Using proton-magnetic resonance spectroscopy ((1)H-MRS) at 11.7Tesla, we measured the metabolic neurochemical profile in intact, discrete tissue punches taken from prefrontal cortex, anterior striatum, and hippocampus of rats administered MDMA (5mg/kg IP, 4× q 2h) or saline and euthanized 7 days after the last injection. Monoamine content was measured with HPLC in contralateral punches from striatum and hippocampus to compare the MDMA-induced loss of 5HT innervation with constituents in the (1)H-MRS profile. When assessed 7 days after the last MDMA injection, levels of hippocampal and striatal serotonin (5HT) were significantly reduced, consistent with published animal studies. N-Acetylaspartate (NAA) levels were significantly increased in prefrontal cortex and not affected in anterior striatum or hippocampus; myo-inositol (INS) levels were increased in prefrontal cortex and hippocampus but not anterior striatum. Glutamate levels were increased in prefrontal cortex and decreased in hippocampus, while GABA levels were decreased only in hippocampus. The data suggest that NAA may not reliably reflect MDMA-induced 5HT neurotoxicity. However, the collective pattern of changes in 5HT, INS, glutamate and GABA is consistent with persistent hippocampal neuroadaptations caused by MDMA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shane A Perrine
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Brain Research and Imaging Neuroscience Division, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI 48201, USA.
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Ghoddoussi F, Galloway MP, Jambekar A, Bame M, Needleman R, Brusilow WS. Methionine sulfoximine, an inhibitor of glutamine synthetase, lowers brain glutamine and glutamate in a mouse model of ALS. J Neurol Sci 2010; 290:41-7. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jns.2009.11.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2009] [Revised: 11/24/2009] [Accepted: 11/24/2009] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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Cortese BM, Mitchell TR, Galloway MP, Prevost KE, Fang J, Moore GJ, Uhde TW. Region-specific alteration in brain glutamate: possible relationship to risk-taking behavior. Physiol Behav 2009; 99:445-50. [PMID: 20006966 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2009.12.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2009] [Revised: 10/29/2009] [Accepted: 12/07/2009] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Risk-taking behaviors involve increased motor activity and reduced anxiety in humans. Total sleep deprivation (SD) in animals produces a similar change in motor and fear behaviors. Investigators studied region-specific brain levels of glutamate in rats after TSD, an animal model of risk-taking behavior. We investigated the effects of sleep deprivation on these behaviors and associated levels of brain glutamate. Compared to the controls, the sleep-deprived rats spent a significantly greater percentage of time in the open arms of the elevated plus maze (EPM), demonstrating reduced fear-like and increased risk-taking behaviors. Additionally, sleep deprivation was associated with a significant increase in glutamate levels in the hippocampus and thalamus. An inverse relationship between glutamate in the medial prefrontal cortex and risk taking in the EPM and a positive association between the ratio of glutamate in the hippocampus to medial prefrontal cortex and risk taking was revealed. The role of sleep deprivation-induced changes in brain glutamate and its relationship to anxiety, fear, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernadette M Cortese
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, USA
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