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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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2
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Momin SZ, Le JT, Miranda RC. Vascular Contributions to the Neurobiological Effects of Prenatal Alcohol Exposure. ADVANCES IN DRUG AND ALCOHOL RESEARCH 2023; 3:10924. [PMID: 37205306 PMCID: PMC10191416 DOI: 10.3389/adar.2023.10924] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) are often characterized as a cluster of brain-based disabilities. Though cardiovascular effects of prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) have been documented, the vascular deficits due to PAE are less understood, but may contribute substantially to the severity of neurobehavioral presentation and health outcomes in persons with FASD. Methods We conducted a systematic review of research articles curated in PubMed to assess the strength of the research on vascular effects of PAE. 40 pertinent papers were selected, covering studies in both human populations and animal models. Results Studies in human populations identified cardiac defects, and defects in vasculature, including increased tortuosity, defects in basement membranes, capillary basal hyperplasia, endarteritis, and disorganized and diminished cerebral vasculature due to PAE. Preclinical studies showed that PAE rapidly and persistently results in vasodilation of large afferent cerebral arteries, but to vasoconstriction of smaller cerebral arteries and microvasculature. Moreover, PAE continues to affect cerebral blood flow into middle-age. Human and animal studies also indicate that ocular vascular parameters may have diagnostic and predictive value. A number of intervening mechanisms were identified, including increased autophagy, inflammation and deficits in mitochondria. Studies in animals identified persistent changes in blood flow and vascular density associated with endocannabinoid, prostacyclin and nitric oxide signaling, as well as calcium mobilization. Conclusion Although the brain has been a particular focus of studies on PAE, the cardiovascular system is equally affected. Studies in human populations, though constrained by small sample sizes, did link pathology in major blood vessels and tissue vasculature, including brain vasculature, to PAE. Animal studies highlighted molecular mechanisms that may be useful therapeutic targets. Collectively, these studies suggest that vascular pathology is a possible contributing factor to neurobehavioral and health problems across a lifespan in persons with a diagnosis of FASD. Furthermore, ocular vasculature may serve as a biomarker for neurovascular health in FASD.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Rajesh C. Miranda
- Corresponding author to whom correspondence should be addressed: Rajesh C. Miranda, PhD, , Texas A&M University Health Science Center, School of Medicine, Department of Neuroscience & Experimental Therapeutics, Medical Research and Education Building, 8447 Riverside Parkway, Bryan, TX 77807-3260, Phone: 979-436-0332, Fax: 979-436-0086
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3
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Saha PS, Mayhan WG. Prenatal exposure to alcohol: mechanisms of cerebral vascular damage and lifelong consequences. ADVANCES IN DRUG AND ALCOHOL RESEARCH 2022; 2:10818. [PMID: 38390614 PMCID: PMC10880760 DOI: 10.3389/adar.2022.10818] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2022] [Accepted: 11/01/2022] [Indexed: 02/24/2024]
Abstract
Alcohol is a well-known teratogen, and prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) leads to a greater incidence of many cardiovascular-related pathologies. Alcohol negatively impacts vasculogenesis and angiogenesis in the developing fetal brain, resulting in fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD). Ample preclinical evidence indicates that the normal reactivity of cerebral resistance arterioles, which regulate blood flow distribution in response to metabolic demand (neurovascular coupling), is impaired by PAE. This impairment of dilation of cerebral arteries may carry implications for the susceptibility of the brain to cerebral ischemic damage well into adulthood. The focus of this review is to consolidate findings from studies examining the influence of PAE on vascular development, give insights into relevant pathological mechanisms at the vascular level, evaluate the risks of ethanol-driven alterations of cerebrovascular reactivity, and revisit different preventive interventions that may have promise in reversing vascular changes in preclinical FASD models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Partha S Saha
- Division of Basic Biomedical Sciences, Sanford School of Medicine, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD, United States
| | - William G Mayhan
- Division of Basic Biomedical Sciences, Sanford School of Medicine, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD, United States
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4
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Tu HF, Skalkidou A, Lindskog M, Gredebäck G. Maternal childhood trauma and perinatal distress are related to infants' focused attention from 6 to 18 months. Sci Rep 2021; 11:24190. [PMID: 34921204 PMCID: PMC8683435 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-03568-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2021] [Accepted: 12/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Maternal distress is repeatedly reported to have negative impacts on the cognitive development in children and is linked to neurodevelopmental disorders (e.g. attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and autism spectrum disorder). However, studies examining the associations between maternal distress and the development of attention in infancy are few. This study investigated the longitudinal relationships between maternal distress (depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, and exposure to childhood trauma) and the development of focused attention in infancy in 118 mother-infant dyads. We found that maternal exposure to non-interpersonal traumatic events in childhood was associated with the less focused attention of the infants to audio-visual stimuli at 6, 10, and 18 months. In addition, exposure to interpersonal traumatic events in childhood was identified as a moderator of the negative effect of maternal anxiety during the 2nd trimester on the development of focused attention in infants. We discuss the possible mechanisms accounting for these cross-generational effects. Our findings underscore the importance of maternal mental health to the development of focused attention in infancy and address the need for early screening of maternal mental health during pregnancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hsing-Fen Tu
- Department of Neurology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, 04103, Leipzig, Germany.
- Department of Psychology, Uppsala University, 75237, Uppsala, Sweden.
| | - Alkistis Skalkidou
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, Uppsala University, 75237, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Marcus Lindskog
- Department of Psychology, Uppsala University, 75237, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Gustaf Gredebäck
- Department of Psychology, Uppsala University, 75237, Uppsala, Sweden
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5
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Sininger YS, Condon CG, Gimenez LA, Shuffrey LC, Myers MM, Elliott AJ, Thai T, Nugent JD, Pini N, Sania A, Odendaal HJ, Angal J, Tobacco D, Hoffman HJ, Simmons DD, Fifer WP. Prenatal Exposure to Tobacco and Alcohol Alters Development of the Neonatal Auditory System. Dev Neurosci 2021; 43:358-375. [PMID: 34348289 DOI: 10.1159/000518130] [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: 04/09/2021] [Accepted: 06/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Prenatal exposures to alcohol (PAE) and tobacco (PTE) are known to produce adverse neonatal and childhood outcomes including damage to the developing auditory system. Knowledge of the timing, extent, and combinations of these exposures on effects on the developing system is limited. As part of the physiological measurements from the Safe Passage Study, Auditory Brainstem Responses (ABRs) and Transient Otoacoustic Emissions (TEOAEs) were acquired on infants at birth and one-month of age. Research sites were in South Africa and the Northern Plains of the U.S. Prenatal information on alcohol and tobacco exposure was gathered prospectively on mother/infant dyads. Cluster analysis was used to characterize three levels of PAE and three levels of PTE. Repeated-measures ANOVAs were conducted for newborn and one-month-old infants for ABR peak latencies and amplitudes and TEOAE levels and signal-to-noise ratios. Analyses controlled for hours of life at test, gestational age at birth, sex, site, and other exposure. Significant main effects of PTE included reduced newborn ABR latencies from both ears. PTE also resulted in a significant reduction of ABR peak amplitudes elicited in infants at 1-month of age. PAE led to a reduction of TEOAE amplitude for 1-month-old infants but only in the left ear. Results indicate that PAE and PTE lead to early disruption of peripheral, brainstem, and cortical development and neuronal pathways of the auditory system, including the olivocochlear pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yvonne S Sininger
- Department of Head & Neck Surgery, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA
- C&Y Consultants, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA
| | - Carmen G Condon
- Division of Developmental Neuroscience, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, New York, USA
| | - Lissete A Gimenez
- Division of Developmental Neuroscience, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, New York, USA
| | - Lauren C Shuffrey
- Division of Developmental Neuroscience, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, New York, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
| | - Michael M Myers
- Division of Developmental Neuroscience, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, New York, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
| | - Amy J Elliott
- Center for Pediatric & Community Research, Avera Research Institute, Sioux Falls, South Dakota, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of South Dakota School of Medicine, Sioux Falls, South Dakota, USA
| | - Tracy Thai
- Division of Developmental Neuroscience, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, New York, USA
| | - James D Nugent
- Division of Developmental Neuroscience, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, New York, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
| | - Nicolò Pini
- Division of Developmental Neuroscience, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, New York, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
| | - Ayesha Sania
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
| | - Hein J Odendaal
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Science, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Jyoti Angal
- Center for Pediatric & Community Research, Avera Research Institute, Sioux Falls, South Dakota, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of South Dakota School of Medicine, Sioux Falls, South Dakota, USA
| | - Deborah Tobacco
- Center for Pediatric & Community Research, Avera Research Institute, Sioux Falls, South Dakota, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of South Dakota School of Medicine, Sioux Falls, South Dakota, USA
| | - Howard J Hoffman
- Epidemiology and Statistics Program, National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | | | - William P Fifer
- Division of Developmental Neuroscience, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, New York, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
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Saha PS, Kim Sawtelle KR, Bamberg BN, Arrick DM, Watt MJ, Scholl JL, Zheng H, Mayhan WG. Rosiglitazone restores nitric oxide synthase-dependent reactivity of cerebral arterioles in rats exposed to prenatal alcohol. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2021; 45:1359-1369. [PMID: 34120346 DOI: 10.1111/acer.14634] [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: 02/11/2021] [Revised: 05/05/2021] [Accepted: 05/08/2021] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Prenatal exposure to alcohol leads to a greater incidence of many cardiovascular-related diseases, presumably via a mechanism that may involve increased oxidative stress. An agonist of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ; rosiglitazone) has been shown to suppress alcohol-induced neuroinflammation and oxidative stress. The goal of this study was to determine whether acute and chronic treatment with rosiglitazone could restore or prevent impaired nitric oxide synthase (NOS)-dependent responses of cerebral arterioles in male and female adult (14-16 weeks old) rats exposed to alcohol in utero. METHODS We fed Sprague-Dawley dams a liquid diet with or without 3% ethanol for the duration of their pregnancy (21-23 days). In the first series of studies, we examined the reactivity of cerebral arterioles to eNOS- (ADP), nNOS-dependent (NMDA), and NOS-independent agonists in male and female adult rats before and during acute (1 hour) topical application of rosiglitazone (1 µM). In a second series of studies, we examined the influence of chronic treatment with rosiglitazone (3 mg/kg/day in drinking water for 2-3 weeks) on the responses of cerebral arterioles in male and female adult rats exposed to alcohol in utero. RESULTS We found that in utero exposure to alcohol similarly reduced responses of cerebral arterioles to ADP and NMDA, but not to nitroglycerin in male and female adult rats. In addition, acute treatment of the male and female adult rats with rosiglitazone similarly restored this impairment in cerebral vascular function to that observed in controls. We also found that chronic treatment with rosiglitazone prevented impaired vascular function in male and female adult rats that were exposed to alcohol in utero. CONCLUSIONS PPARγ activation may be an effective and relevant treatment to reverse or prevent cerebral vascular abnormalities associated with prenatal exposure to alcohol.
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Affiliation(s)
- Partha S Saha
- Division of Basic Biomedical Sciences, Sanford School of Medicine, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD, USA
| | - Kirsten R Kim Sawtelle
- Division of Basic Biomedical Sciences, Sanford School of Medicine, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD, USA
| | - Brittany N Bamberg
- Division of Basic Biomedical Sciences, Sanford School of Medicine, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD, USA
| | - Denise M Arrick
- Division of Basic Biomedical Sciences, Sanford School of Medicine, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD, USA
| | - Michael J Watt
- Department of Anatomy, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Jamie L Scholl
- Division of Basic Biomedical Sciences, Sanford School of Medicine, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD, USA
| | - Hong Zheng
- Division of Basic Biomedical Sciences, Sanford School of Medicine, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD, USA
| | - William G Mayhan
- Division of Basic Biomedical Sciences, Sanford School of Medicine, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD, USA
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7
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Macchione AF, Trujillo V, Anunziata F, Sahonero M, Anastasia A, Abate P, Molina JC. Early ethanol pre-exposure alters breathing patterns by disruptions in the central respiratory network and serotonergic balance in neonate rats. Behav Brain Res 2020; 396:112908. [PMID: 32961215 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2020.112908] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2020] [Revised: 08/04/2020] [Accepted: 09/13/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Early ethanol exposure alters neonatal breathing plasticity. Respiratory EtOH's effects are attributed to central respiratory network disruptions, particularly in the medullary serotonin (5HT) system. In this study we evaluated the effects of neonatal pre-exposure to low/moderate doses upon breathing rates, activation patterns of brainstem's nuclei and expression of 5HT 2A and 2C receptors. At PD9, breathing frequencies, tidal volumes and apneas were examined in pups pre-exposed to vehicle or ethanol (2.0 g/kg) at PDs 3, 5 and 7. This developmental stage is equivalent to the 3rd human gestational trimester, characterized by increased levels of synaptogenesis. Pups were tested under sobriety or under the state of ethanol intoxication and when subjected to normoxia or hypoxia. Number of c-Fos and 5HT immunolabelled cells and relative mRNA expression of 5HT 2A and 2C receptors were quantified in the brainstem. Under normoxia, ethanol pre-exposed pups exhibited breathing depressions and a high number of apneas. An opposite phenomenon was found in ethanol pre-treated pups tested under hypoxia where an exacerbated hypoxic ventilatory response (HVR) was observed. The breathing depression was associated with an increase in the neural activation levels of the raphe obscurus (ROb) and a high mRNA expression of the 5HT 2A receptor in the brainstem while desactivation of the ROb and high activation levels in the solitary tract nucleus and area postrema were associated to the exacerbated HVR. In summary, early ethanol experience induces respiratory disruptions indicative of sensitization processes. Neuroadaptive changes in central respiratory areas under consideration appear to be strongly associated with changes in their respiratory plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- A F Macchione
- Instituto De Investigación Médica Mercedes y Martín Ferreyra, INIMEC-CONICET- Universidad Nacional De Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina; Facultad De Psicología, Universidad Nacional De Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina; Instituto De Investigaciones Psicológicas, IIPsi-CONICET-Universidad Nacional De Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina.
| | - V Trujillo
- Instituto De Investigación Médica Mercedes y Martín Ferreyra, INIMEC-CONICET- Universidad Nacional De Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - F Anunziata
- Instituto De Investigación Médica Mercedes y Martín Ferreyra, INIMEC-CONICET- Universidad Nacional De Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - M Sahonero
- Facultad De Psicología, Universidad Nacional De Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - A Anastasia
- Instituto De Investigación Médica Mercedes y Martín Ferreyra, INIMEC-CONICET- Universidad Nacional De Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina; Facultad De Psicología, Universidad Nacional De Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - P Abate
- Facultad De Psicología, Universidad Nacional De Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina; Instituto De Investigaciones Psicológicas, IIPsi-CONICET-Universidad Nacional De Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - J C Molina
- Instituto De Investigación Médica Mercedes y Martín Ferreyra, INIMEC-CONICET- Universidad Nacional De Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina; Facultad De Psicología, Universidad Nacional De Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina.
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8
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Cananzi SG, Mayhan WG. In Utero Exposure to Alcohol Impairs Reactivity of Cerebral Arterioles and Increases Susceptibility of the Brain to Damage Following Ischemia/Reperfusion in Adulthood. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2019; 43:607-616. [PMID: 30748017 DOI: 10.1111/acer.13979] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2018] [Accepted: 02/01/2019] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Maternal consumption of alcohol produces abnormalities in the developing fetus and can contribute to an increased incidence of many cardiovascular-related diseases. The first goal of this study was to determine whether in utero exposure to alcohol influences reactivity of cerebral arterioles in adult (12 to 15 weeks old) rats. The second goal of this study was to examine whether in utero exposure to alcohol increased the susceptibility of the brain to damage following an ischemic event in adult rats. METHODS We fed Sprague Dawley dams a liquid diet with or without alcohol (3% ethanol) for the duration of their pregnancy (21 to 23 days). In the first series of studies, we examined reactivity of cerebral arterioles to endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS)- (adenosine diphosphate [ADP]) and neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS)-dependent N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA, and NOS-independent agonists in adult rats before and during application of l-NMMA. In another series of studies, we examined infarct volume following middle cerebral artery occlusion in adult offspring exposed to alcohol in utero. In both series of studies, we also determined the role for an increase in oxidative stress by feeding dams apocynin for the duration of their pregnancy. RESULTS We found that in utero exposure to alcohol reduced responses of cerebral arterioles to ADP and NMDA, but not to nitroglycerin in adult rats. In addition, treatment of the dams with apocynin prevented this impairment in cerebral vascular function. We also found that in utero exposure to alcohol worsened brain damage following ischemia/reperfusion in adult rats and that treatment of dams with apocynin prevented this increase in brain damage following ischemia/reperfusion. CONCLUSIONS We suggest that our findings may have important implications for the pathogenesis of brain abnormalities associated with fetal alcohol exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergio G Cananzi
- Department of Molecular Biology , University of Texas-Southwestern, Dallas, Texas
| | - William G Mayhan
- Division of Basic Biomedical Sciences , Sanford School of Medicine, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, South Dakota
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Abstract
Our goal was to examine whether in utero exposure to alcohol impaired reactivity of cerebral arterioles during development. We fed Sprague-Dawley dams a liquid diet with or without alcohol (3% ethanol) for the duration of pregnancy (21-23 days). Around 4-6 weeks after birth, we examined reactivity of cerebral arterioles to eNOS- (ADP) and nNOS-dependent (NMDA) agonists in the offspring. We found that in utero exposure to alcohol attenuated responses of cerebral arterioles to ADP and NMDA, but not to nitroglycerin in rats exposed to alcohol in utero. L-NMMA reduced responses to agonists in control rats, but not in rats exposed to alcohol in utero. Treatment of dams with apocynin for the duration of pregnancy rescued the impairment in reactivity to ADP and NMDA in the offspring. Protein expression of NOX-2 and NOX-4 was increased in alcohol rats compared to control rats. We also found an increase in superoxide levels in the cortex of rats exposed to alcohol in utero. Our findings suggest that in utero exposure to alcohol impairs eNOS and nNOS reactivity of cerebral arterioles via a chronic increase in oxidative stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergio G Cananzi
- 1 Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, and the Center for Cardiovascular Diseases and Sciences, Louisiana State University Health Science Center-Shreveport, Shreveport, LA, USA
| | - William G Mayhan
- 2 Division of Basic Biomedical Sciences, Sanford School of Medicine, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD, USA
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10
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Bukiya AN, Dopico AM. Fetal Cerebral Circulation as Target of Maternal Alcohol Consumption. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2018; 42:1006-1018. [PMID: 29672868 PMCID: PMC5984173 DOI: 10.1111/acer.13755] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2018] [Accepted: 04/08/2018] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Alcohol (ethanol [EtOH]) is one of the most widely used psychoactive substances worldwide. Alcohol consumption during pregnancy may result in a wide range of morphological and neurodevelopmental abnormalities termed fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD), with the most severe cases diagnosed as fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS). FAS and FASD are not readily curable and currently represent the leading preventable causes of birth defect and neurodevelopmental delay in the United States. The etiology of FAS/FASD remains poorly understood. This review focuses on the effects of prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) on fetal cerebrovascular function. A brief introduction to the epidemiology of alcohol consumption and the developmental characteristics of fetal cerebral circulation is followed by several sections that discuss current evidence documenting alcohol-driven alterations of fetal cerebral blood flow, artery function, and microvessel networks. The material offers mechanistic insights at the vascular level itself into the pathophysiology of PAE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna N Bukiya
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee
| | - Alex M Dopico
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee
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11
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Yu L, Zhou J, Zhang G, Huang W, Pei L, Lv F, Zhang Y, Zhang W, Wang H. cAMP/PKA/EGR1 signaling mediates the molecular mechanism of ethanol-induced inhibition of placental 11β-HSD2 expression. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol 2018; 352:77-86. [PMID: 29802914 DOI: 10.1016/j.taap.2018.05.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2018] [Revised: 05/20/2018] [Accepted: 05/21/2018] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
It is known that inhibiting 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2 (11β-HSD2) expression in the placenta can cause fetal over-exposure to maternal glucocorticoids and induce intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR); these effects ultimately increase the risk of adult chronic diseases. This study aimed to investigate the molecular mechanism of the prenatal ethanol exposure (PEE)-induced inhibition of placental 11β-HSD2 expression. Pregnant Wistar rats were intragastrically administered ethanol (4 g/kg/d) from gestational days 9 to 20. The levels of maternal and fetal serum corticosterone and placental 11β-HSD2-related gene expression were analyzed. Furthermore, we investigated the mechanism of reduced placental 11β-HSD2 expression induced by ethanol treatment (15-60 mM) in HTR-8/SVneo cells. In vivo, PEE decreased fetal body weights and increased maternal and fetal serum corticosterone and early growth response factor 1 (EGR1) expression levels. Moreover, histone modification changes (decreased acetylation and increased di-methylation of H3K9) to the HSD11B2 promoter and lower 11β-HSD2 expression levels were observed. In vitro, ethanol decreased cAMP/PKA signaling and 11β-HSD2 expression and increased EGR1 expression in a concentration-dependent manner. A cAMP agonist and EGR1 siRNA reversed the ethanol-induced inhibition of 11β-HSD2 expression. Together, PEE reduced placental 11β-HSD2 expression, and the underlying mechanism is associated with ethanol-induced histone modification changes to the HSD11B2 promoter through the cAMP/PKA/EGR1 pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luting Yu
- Department of Pharmacology, Basic Medical School of Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Jin Zhou
- Department of Pharmacology, Basic Medical School of Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Guohui Zhang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Wen Huang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Linguo Pei
- Department of Pharmacology, Basic Medical School of Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Feng Lv
- Department of Pharmacology, Basic Medical School of Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Yuanzhen Zhang
- Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory of Developmentally Originated Diseases, Wuhan 430071, China; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Wei Zhang
- Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory of Developmentally Originated Diseases, Wuhan 430071, China; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Hui Wang
- Department of Pharmacology, Basic Medical School of Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China; Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory of Developmentally Originated Diseases, Wuhan 430071, China; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China.
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Macchione AF, Anunziata F, Haymal BO, Abate P, Molina JC. Brief ethanol exposure and stress-related factors disorganize neonatal breathing plasticity during the brain growth spurt period in the rat. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2018; 235:983-998. [PMID: 29464303 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-017-4815-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2017] [Accepted: 12/13/2017] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE The effects of early ethanol exposure upon neonatal respiratory plasticity have received progressive attention given a multifactorial perspective related with sudden infant death syndrome or hypoxia-associated syndromes. The present preclinical study was performed in 3-9-day-old pups, a stage in development characterized by a brain growth spurt that partially overlaps with the 3rd human gestational trimester. METHODS Breathing frequencies and apneas were examined in pups receiving vehicle or a relatively moderate ethanol dose (2.0 g/kg) utilizing a whole body plethysmograph. The experimental design also considered possible associations between drug administration stress and exteroceptive cues (plethysmographic context or an artificial odor). Ethanol exposure progressively exerted a detrimental effect upon breathing frequencies. A test conducted at PD9 when pups were under the state of sobriety confirmed ethanol's detrimental effects upon respiratory plasticity (breathing depression). RESULTS Pre-exposure to the drug also resulted in a highly disorganized respiratory response following a hypoxic event, i.e., heightened apneic episodes. Associative processes involving drug administration procedures and placement in the plethysmographic context also affected respiratory plasticity. Pups that experienced intragastric administrations in close temporal contiguity with such a context showed diminished hyperventilation during hypoxia. In a 2nd test conducted at PD9 while pups were intoxicated and undergoing hypoxia, an attenuated hyperventilatory response was observed. In this test, there were also indications that prior ethanol exposure depressed breathing frequencies during hypoxia and a recovery normoxia phase. CONCLUSION As a whole, the results demonstrated that brief ethanol experience and stress-related factors significantly disorganize respiratory patterns as well as arousal responses linked to hypoxia in neonatal rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- A F Macchione
- Instituto de Investigación Médica Mercedes y Martín Ferreyra, INIMEC-CONICET-Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Friuli 2434, 5016, Córdoba, Argentina.,Facultad de Psicología, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - F Anunziata
- Instituto de Investigación Médica Mercedes y Martín Ferreyra, INIMEC-CONICET-Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Friuli 2434, 5016, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - B O Haymal
- Instituto de Investigación Médica Mercedes y Martín Ferreyra, INIMEC-CONICET-Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Friuli 2434, 5016, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - P Abate
- Instituto de Investigación Médica Mercedes y Martín Ferreyra, INIMEC-CONICET-Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Friuli 2434, 5016, Córdoba, Argentina.,Facultad de Psicología, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - J C Molina
- Instituto de Investigación Médica Mercedes y Martín Ferreyra, INIMEC-CONICET-Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Friuli 2434, 5016, Córdoba, Argentina. .,Facultad de Psicología, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina. .,Center for Development and Behavioral Neuroscience, Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY, USA.
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Correlation between morphological MRI findings and specific diagnostic categories in fetal alcohol spectrum disorders. Eur J Med Genet 2016; 60:65-71. [PMID: 27620364 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmg.2016.09.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2016] [Accepted: 09/07/2016] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) include physical and neurodevelopmental abnormalities related to prenatal alcohol exposure. Some neuroimaging findings have been clearly related to FASD, including corpus callosum and cerebellar anomalies. However, detailed studies correlating with specific FASD categories, that is, the fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS), partial FAS (pFAS) and alcohol related neurodevelopmental disorders (ARND), are lacking. We prospectively performed clinical assessment and brain MR imaging to 72 patients with suspected FASD, and diagnosis was confirmed in 62. The most frequent findings were hypoplasia of the corpus callosum and/or of the cerebellar vermis. Additional findings were vascular anomalies, gliosis, prominent perivascular spaces, occipito-cervical junction and cervical vertebral anomalies, pituitary hypoplasia, arachnoid cysts, and cavum septum pellucidum.
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Rogic S, Wong A, Pavlidis P. Meta-Analysis of Gene Expression Patterns in Animal Models of Prenatal Alcohol Exposure Suggests Role for Protein Synthesis Inhibition and Chromatin Remodeling. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2016; 40:717-27. [PMID: 26996386 PMCID: PMC5310543 DOI: 10.1111/acer.13007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2015] [Accepted: 01/11/2016] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) can result in an array of morphological, behavioral, and neurobiological deficits that can range in their severity. Despite extensive research in the field and a significant progress made, especially in understanding the range of possible malformations and neurobehavioral abnormalities, the molecular mechanisms of alcohol responses in development are still not well understood. There have been multiple transcriptomic studies looking at the changes in gene expression after PAE in animal models; however, there is a limited apparent consensus among the reported findings. In an effort to address this issue, we performed a comprehensive re-analysis and meta-analysis of all suitable, publically available expression data sets. METHODS We assembled 10 microarray data sets of gene expression after PAE in mouse and rat models consisting of samples from a total of 63 ethanol (EtOH)-exposed and 80 control animals. We re-analyzed each data set for differential expression and then used the results to perform meta-analyses considering all data sets together or grouping them by time or duration of exposure (pre- and postnatal, acute and chronic, respectively). We performed network and Gene Ontology enrichment analysis to further characterize the identified signatures. RESULTS For each subanalysis, we identified signatures of differential expressed genes that show support from multiple studies. Overall, the changes in gene expression were more extensive after acute EtOH treatment during prenatal development than in other models. Considering the analysis of all the data together, we identified a robust core signature of 104 genes down-regulated after PAE, with no up-regulated genes. Functional analysis reveals over representation of genes involved in protein synthesis, mRNA splicing, and chromatin organization. CONCLUSIONS Our meta-analysis shows that existing studies, despite superficial dissimilarity in findings, share features that allow us to identify a common core signature set of transcriptome changes in PAE. This is an important step to identifying the biological processes that underlie the etiology of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sanja Rogic
- Department of Psychiatry and Michael Smith Laboratories, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Albertina Wong
- Department of Psychiatry and Michael Smith Laboratories, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Paul Pavlidis
- Department of Psychiatry and Michael Smith Laboratories, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
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15
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Welch JH, Mayfield JJ, Leibowitz AL, Baculis BC, Valenzuela CF. Third trimester-equivalent ethanol exposure causes micro-hemorrhages in the rat brain. Neuroscience 2016; 324:107-18. [PMID: 26964687 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2016.03.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2015] [Revised: 02/28/2016] [Accepted: 03/02/2016] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Exposure to ethanol during fetal development produces long-lasting neurobehavioral deficits caused by functional alterations in neuronal circuits across multiple brain regions. Therapeutic interventions currently used to treat these deficits are only partially efficacious, which is a consequence of limited understanding of the mechanism of action of ethanol. Here, we describe a novel effect of ethanol in the developing brain. Specifically, we show that exposure of rats to ethanol in vapor chambers during the equivalent to the third trimester of human pregnancy causes brain micro-hemorrhages. This effect was observed both at low and high doses of ethanol vapor exposure, and was not specific to this exposure paradigm as it was also observed when ethanol was administered via intra-esophageal gavage. The vast majority of the micro-hemorrhages were located in the cerebral cortex but were also observed in the hypothalamus, midbrain, olfactory tubercle, and striatum. The auditory, cingulate, insular, motor, orbital, retrosplenial, somatosensory, and visual cortices were primarily affected. Immunohistochemical experiments showed that the micro-hemorrhages caused neuronal loss, as well as reactive astrogliosis and microglial activation. Analysis with the Catwalk test revealed subtle deficits in motor function during adolescence/young adulthood. In conclusion, our study provides additional evidence linking developmental ethanol exposure with alterations in the fetal cerebral vasculature. Given that this effect was observed at moderate levels of ethanol exposure, our findings lend additional support to the recommendation that women abstain from consuming alcoholic beverages during pregnancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- J H Welch
- Department of Neurosciences, School of Medicine, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA
| | - J J Mayfield
- Department of Neurosciences, School of Medicine, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA
| | - A L Leibowitz
- Department of Neurosciences, School of Medicine, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA
| | - B C Baculis
- Department of Neurosciences, School of Medicine, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA
| | - C F Valenzuela
- Department of Neurosciences, School of Medicine, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA.
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Le Duc D, Spataru A, Ceanga M, Zagrean L, Schöneberg T, Toescu EC, Zagrean AM. Developmental exposure to ethanol increases the neuronal vulnerability to oxygen-glucose deprivation in cerebellar granule cell cultures. Brain Res 2015; 1614:1-13. [PMID: 25881894 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2015.04.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2014] [Revised: 03/18/2015] [Accepted: 04/04/2015] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Prenatal alcohol exposure is associated with microencephaly, cognitive and behavioral deficits, and growth retardation. Some of the mechanisms of ethanol-induced injury, such as high level oxidative stress and overexpression of pro-apoptotic genes, can increase the sensitivity of fetal neurons towards hypoxic/ischemic stress associated with normal labor. Thus, alcohol-induced sequelae may be the cumulative result of direct ethanol toxicity and increased neuronal vulnerability towards metabolic stressors, including hypoxia. We examined the effects of ethanol exposure on the fetal cerebellar granular neurons' susceptibility to hypoxic/hypoglycemic damage. A chronic ethanol exposure covered the entire prenatal period and 5 days postpartum through breastfeeding, a time interval partially extending into the third-trimester equivalent in humans. After a binge-like alcohol exposure at postnatal day 5, glutamatergic cerebellar granule neurons were cultured and grown for 7 days in vitro, then exposed to a 3-h oxygen-glucose deprivation to mimic a hypoxic/ischemic condition. Cellular viability was monitored by dynamic recording of propidium iodide fluorescence over 20 h reoxygenation. We explored differentially expressed genes on microarray data from a mouse embryonic ethanol-exposure model and validated these by real-time PCR on the present model. In the ethanol-treated cerebellar granule neurons we find an increased expression of genes related to apoptosis (Mapk8 and Bax), but also of genes previously described as neuroprotective (Dhcr24 and Bdnf), which might suggest an actively maintained viability. Our data suggest that neurons exposed to ethanol during development are more vulnerable to in vitro hypoxia/hypoglycemia and have higher intrinsic death susceptibility than unexposed neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diana Le Duc
- Division of Physiology and Fundamental Neuroscience, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 050474 Bucharest, Romania; Molecular Biochemistry, Institute of Biochemistry, Medical Faculty, University of Leipzig, Johannisallee 30, 04103 Leipzig, Germany.
| | - Ana Spataru
- Division of Physiology and Fundamental Neuroscience, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 050474 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Mihai Ceanga
- Division of Physiology and Fundamental Neuroscience, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 050474 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Leon Zagrean
- Division of Physiology and Fundamental Neuroscience, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 050474 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Torsten Schöneberg
- Molecular Biochemistry, Institute of Biochemistry, Medical Faculty, University of Leipzig, Johannisallee 30, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Emil C Toescu
- Translational Neuroscience, School of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, United Kingdom
| | - Ana-Maria Zagrean
- Division of Physiology and Fundamental Neuroscience, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 050474 Bucharest, Romania.
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Sawant OB, Ramadoss J, Hankins GD, Wu G, Washburn SE. Effects of L-glutamine supplementation on maternal and fetal hemodynamics in gestating ewes exposed to alcohol. Amino Acids 2014; 46:1981-96. [PMID: 24810329 DOI: 10.1007/s00726-014-1751-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2014] [Accepted: 04/16/2014] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Not much is known about effects of gestational alcohol exposure on maternal and fetal cardiovascular adaptations. This study determined whether maternal binge alcohol exposure and L-glutamine supplementation could affect maternal-fetal hemodynamics and fetal regional brain blood flow during the brain growth spurt period. Pregnant sheep were randomly assigned to one of four groups: saline control, alcohol (1.75-2.5 g/kg body weight), glutamine (100 mg/kg body weight) or alcohol + glutamine. A chronic weekend binge drinking paradigm between gestational days (GD) 99 and 115 was utilized. Fetuses were surgically instrumented on GD 117 ± 1 and studied on GD 120 ± 1. Binge alcohol exposure caused maternal acidemia, hypercapnea, and hypoxemia. Fetuses were acidemic and hypercapnic, but not hypoxemic. Alcohol exposure increased fetal mean arterial pressure, whereas fetal heart rate was unaltered. Alcohol exposure resulted in ~40 % reduction in maternal uterine artery blood flow. Labeled microsphere analyses showed that alcohol induced >2-fold increases in fetal whole brain blood flow. The elevation in fetal brain blood flow was region-specific, particularly affecting the developing cerebellum, brain stem, and olfactory bulb. Maternal L-glutamine supplementation attenuated alcohol-induced maternal hypercapnea, fetal acidemia and increases in fetal brain blood flow. L-Glutamine supplementation did not affect uterine blood flow. Collectively, alcohol exposure alters maternal and fetal acid-base balance, decreases uterine blood flow, and alters fetal regional brain blood flow. Importantly, L-glutamine supplementation mitigates alcohol-induced acid-base imbalances and alterations in fetal regional brain blood flow. Further studies are warranted to elucidate mechanisms responsible for alcohol-induced programming of maternal uterine artery and fetal circulation adaptations in pregnancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Onkar B Sawant
- Department of Veterinary Physiology and Pharmacology and Michael E. DeBakey Institute, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, 4466 Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843-4466, USA
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18
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Jégou S, El Ghazi F, de Lendeu PK, Marret S, Laudenbach V, Uguen A, Marcorelles P, Roy V, Laquerrière A, Gonzalez BJ. Prenatal alcohol exposure affects vasculature development in the neonatal brain. Ann Neurol 2013; 72:952-60. [PMID: 23280843 DOI: 10.1002/ana.23699] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2011] [Revised: 06/25/2012] [Accepted: 07/06/2012] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE In humans, antenatal alcohol exposure elicits various developmental disorders, in particular in the brain. Numerous studies focus on the deleterious effects of alcohol on neural cells. Although recent studies suggest that alcohol can affect angiogenesis in adults, the impact of prenatal alcohol exposure on brain microvasculature remains poorly understood. METHODS We used a mouse model to investigate effects of prenatal alcohol exposure on the cortical microvascular network in vivo and ex vivo and the action of alcohol, glutamate, and vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF) on activity, plasticity, and survival of microvessels. We used quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction, Western blot, immunohistochemistry, calcimetry, and videomicroscopy. We characterized the effect of prenatal alcohol exposure on the cortical microvascular network in human controls and fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS)/partial FAS (pFAS) patients at different developmental stages. RESULTS In mice, prenatal alcohol exposure induced a reduction of cortical vascular density, loss of the radial orientation of microvessels, and altered expression of VEGF receptors. Time-lapse experiments performed on brain slices revealed that ethanol inhibited glutamate-induced calcium mobilization in endothelial cells, affected plasticity, and promoted death of microvessels. These effects were prevented by VEGF. In humans, we evidenced a stage-dependent alteration of the vascular network in the cortices of fetuses with pFAS/FAS. Whereas no modification was observed from gestational week 20 (WG20) to WG22, the radial organization of cortical microvessels was clearly altered in pFAS/FAS patients from WG30 to WG38. INTERPRETATION Prenatal alcohol exposure affects cortical angiogenesis both in mice and in pFAS/FAS patients, suggesting that vascular defects contribute to alcohol-induced brain abnormalities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sylvie Jégou
- Region-INSERM Team, ERI28, Laboratory of Microvascular Endothelium and Neonate Brain Lesions, IRIB, Normandy University, Rouen, France
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19
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Mantha K, Kleiber M, Singh S. Neurodevelopmental Timing of Ethanol Exposure May Contribute to Observed Heterogeneity of Behavioral Deficits in a Mouse Model of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD). ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2013. [DOI: 10.4236/jbbs.2013.31009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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20
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Feasibility of Medaka (Oryzias latipes) as an Animal Model to Study Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder. ADVANCES IN MOLECULAR TOXICOLOGY VOLUME 6 2012. [DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-444-59389-4.00003-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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21
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Bake S, Tingling JD, Miranda RC. Ethanol exposure during pregnancy persistently attenuates cranially directed blood flow in the developing fetus: evidence from ultrasound imaging in a murine second trimester equivalent model. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2011; 36:748-58. [PMID: 22141380 DOI: 10.1111/j.1530-0277.2011.01676.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Ethanol (EtOH) consumption during pregnancy can lead to fetal growth retardation, mental retardation, and neurodevelopmental delay. The fetal brain initiates neurogenesis and vasculogenesis during the second trimester, and depends on maternal-fetal circulation for nutrition and growth signals. We used high-resolution in vivo ultrasound imaging to test the hypothesis that EtOH interferes with fetal brain-directed blood flow during this critical developmental period. METHODS Pregnant mice were lightly anesthetized on gestational day 12 with an isoflurane/oxygen mixture. We assessed the effect of single and repeated binge-like maternal EtOH exposures at 3 g/kg, administered by intragastric gavage or intraperitoneal injection, on maternal circulation and fetal umbilical, aortic, internal carotid, and middle cerebral arterial circulation. RESULTS Binge maternal EtOH exposure, regardless of exposure route, significantly reduced fetal arterial blood acceleration and velocity time integral (VTI), from umbilical to cerebral arteries, without a change in fetal heart rate and resistivity indices. Importantly a single maternal binge EtOH exposure induced persistent suppression of fetal arterial VTI for at least 24 hours. Repeated binge episodes resulted in a continuing and persistent suppression of fetal VTI. Qualitative assessments showed that maternal EtOH exposure induced oscillatory, nondirectional blood flow in fetal cerebral arteries. Maternal cardiac and other physiological parameters remained unaltered. CONCLUSIONS These data show that binge-type maternal EtOH exposure results in rapid and persistent loss of blood flow from the umbilical artery to the fetal brain, potentially compromising nutrition and the maternal/fetal endocrine environment during a critical period for neuron formation and angiogenesis in the maturing brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shameena Bake
- Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics, College of Medicine, Texas A&M Health Science Center, Bryan, USA
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22
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Kochunov P, Castro C, Davis DM, Dudley D, Wey HY, Purdy D, Fox PT, Simerly C, Schatten G. Fetal brain during a binge drinking episode: a dynamic susceptibility contrast MRI fetal brain perfusion study. Neuroreport 2010; 21:716-21. [PMID: 20505549 DOI: 10.1097/wnr.0b013e32833b5047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
We assessed the effects of a single episode of maternal alcohol intoxication on fetal brain blood perfusion in three pregnant dams (baboons) at the 24th week of pregnancy using dynamic susceptibility contrast magnetic resonance imaging. After the oral administration of alcohol, there was a four-fold increase in the peak contrast concentrations in the fetal brain. In addition, we observed a two- to three-fold increase in the contrast uptake and washout rates in the fetal brain. The underlying mechanisms of these changes are unknown, but we hypothesized that these could include the alcohol-mediated changes in placental permeability and fetal cerebral blood flow. Our findings indicate that alcohol intoxication produces profound changes, which may detrimentally influence neurodevelopmental processes in the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Kochunov
- Research Imaging Institute, The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, Texas 78229, USA.
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Toda N, Ayajiki K. Vascular actions of nitric oxide as affected by exposure to alcohol. Alcohol Alcohol 2010; 45:347-55. [PMID: 20522422 DOI: 10.1093/alcalc/agq028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Vasodilator substances liberated from endothelial cells, mainly nitric oxide (NO), play important roles in physiologically regulating blood flow and blood pressure and preventing pathological vascular damage. Impairment of these actions promotes the genesis of cardiovascular diseases such as hypertension, cerebral and cardiac hypoperfusion, impaired vasodilatation and atherosclerosis. Low concentrations of alcohol induce increased release of NO from the endothelium due to activation and expression of NO synthase (NOS). In contrast, administration of high concentrations of alcohol or its chronic ingestion impairs endothelial functions in association with reduced NO bioavailability. The endogenous NOS inhibitor asymmetric dimethylarginine may participate in decreased synthesis of NO. Chronic alcohol intake also impairs penile erectile function possibly by interfering with endothelial, but not nitrergic nerve, function. This review article summarizes the vascular actions of NO derived from endothelial and neuronal NOS as affected by alcohol, other than wine, and acetaldehyde in healthy individuals, human materials and various experimental animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noboru Toda
- Toyama Institute for Cardiovascular Pharmacology Research, 7-13, 1-Chome, Azuchi-machi, Chuo-ku, Osaka 541-0052, Japan.
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The effects of binge alcohol exposure in the 2nd trimester on the estimated density of cerebral microvessels in near-term fetal sheep. Brain Res 2008; 1231:75-80. [PMID: 18657528 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2008.06.125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2008] [Revised: 05/27/2008] [Accepted: 06/29/2008] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Heavy fetal alcohol exposure is associated with a spectrum of neurological abnormalities, although the mechanism of injury is largely unknown. We previously reported attenuated cerebral blood flow response to hypoxia in fetal and newborn sheep which were exposed to alcohol earlier in pregnancy. One possible mechanism for this effect of alcohol on the developing cerebral vasculature is a decrease in cerebral microvessel density, similar to its effect on developing neurons. Therefore, we tested the hypothesis that prenatal alcohol exposure decreases cerebral microvessel density. Pregnant ewes received intravenous infusions of ethanol or saline during days 60-84 of gestation (term=150 days) and at 125 days of gestation we obtained the fetal brains for study. We immunohistochemically labeled vessels of the left cerebral forebrain hemispheres with antibody to endothelial nitric oxide synthase and then obtained unbiased stereological estimates of cerebral microvessel density using a modified optical fractionator method. We studied 20 fetal brains of which 9 were alcohol-exposed, 11 were saline-controls, and all were products of a twin gestation. Although brain and body weights were not different between groups, the alcohol-exposed group had significantly lower brain weight as a percentage of body weight. Estimates of cerebral microvessel density were not significantly different between alcohol-exposed and saline-control groups: 12.7+/-8.7 and 9.1+/-2.8 microvessels per mm(3), respectively (mean+/-SD, p=0.32). Since there is no change in estimated cerebral microvessel density after prenatal alcohol exposure, we conclude that decreased cerebral microvessel density is not a likely explanation for attenuated cerebral blood flow in response to hypoxia.
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Effects of binge alcohol exposure in the second trimester on intracerebral arteriolar function in third trimester fetal sheep. Brain Res 2008; 1226:111-5. [PMID: 18640664 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2008.05.077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2008] [Revised: 05/15/2008] [Accepted: 05/30/2008] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Fetal alcohol syndrome is a leading cause of mental retardation, but mechanisms of alcohol-associated brain damage remain elusive. Chronic alcohol exposure attenuates fetal and neonatal hypoxic cerebral vasodilation in sheep. We therefore hypothesized that alcohol could alter development of cerebrovascular responses to adenosine, a putative mediator of hypoxic cerebral vasodilation. The objective of this study was to examine the effect of earlier fetal alcohol exposure on later reactivity to adenosine in fetal sheep cerebral arterioles. Penetrating intracerebral arterioles were harvested from the brains of third trimester fetal sheep previously exposed in the second trimester to maternal alcohol "binges" (1.5 g/kg IV over 90 min, 5 days/week for 4 weeks) or same-volume saline infusions. Arterioles were cannulated with a micropipette system and luminally pressurized. Fetal alcohol exposure did not affect spontaneous myogenic tone, but enhanced the dilator response of penetrating arterioles to extraluminal acidosis (pH 6.8). Alcohol exposure also resulted in an increase in maximal vessel response to CGS-21680, an adenosine A2A receptor agonist, but did not alter the concentration-dependent response curves to adenosine. Our results suggest that earlier alcohol exposure does not impair the subsequent responsiveness of fetal cerebral arterioles to vasodilator agents. Thus, alteration in cerebral vascular response to hypoxia in fetal sheep may not be attributed to changes in vascular reactivity to adenosine.
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Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW The present article is an update on the effects of drug abuse on pregnancy outcome. RECENT FINDINGS Substance abuse in pregnancy is on the increase worldwide. Simultaneously, there is great variability in prevalence rates in different countries, regions of countries and in different ethnic groups. In the United States nearly 90% of drug-abusing women are of reproductive age. Substances most commonly abused in pregnancy include cocaine, amphetamines, opioids, marijuana, ethanol, tobacco, caffeine, and toluene-based solvents. Polysubstance abuse is very common. SUMMARY Substance abuse in pregnancy is associated with significant maternal and fetal morbidity. Risk factors suggesting substance abuse in pregnancy include lack of prenatal care, history of premature labor, and cigarette smoking. In the United States the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has made multiple recommendations regarding management of parturients with drug abuse during pregnancy. Women who acknowledge use of illicit substance during pregnancy should be counseled and offered necessary treatment. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists also acknowledged that some states consider intrauterine fetal drug exposure to be a form of child neglect or abuse under the law.
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Ngai AC, Mondares RL, Mayock DE, Gleason CA. Fetal alcohol exposure alters cerebrovascular reactivity to vasoactive intestinal peptide in adult sheep. Neonatology 2008; 93:45-51. [PMID: 17630497 DOI: 10.1159/000105524] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2006] [Accepted: 04/23/2007] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Chronic fetal alcohol exposure impairs neural and vascular development. We have previously shown that fetal alcohol exposure is associated with attenuated hypoxic cerebral vasodilation and reduced neuronal vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) expression in fetal sheep. In the present study, we tested the hypothesis that fetal alcohol exposure alters vascular development, leading to altered cerebral vascular reactivity to VIP in adulthood. Penetrating intracerebral arterioles were harvested from the brains of adult (10-13 months old) offspring of ewes that had received intravenous infusions of alcohol (1.5 g/kg) or same-volume saline (90 min/day, 5 days/week) during days 30-82 of gestation (full term = 145 days). The isolated arterioles were cannulated with a micropipette system that allowed luminal perfusion and control of luminal pressure and developed spontaneous tone at 40 degrees C and 60 mm Hg luminal pressure. There was no difference in myogenic tone between arterioles exposed prenatally to alcohol (n = 18) and saline controls (n = 17). However, fetal alcohol exposure significantly (p = 0.03) enhanced the dilator responses of adult intracerebral arterioles to VIP [0.1 nM to 1 microM, logEC(50): -8.6 +/- 0.2 (alcohol) vs. -7.4 +/- 0.8 (saline)]. In contrast, there was no difference in dilator responses to H(+) (pH 6.8 buffer), to adenosine (10 nM to 0.1 mM), or to CGS21680 (an adenosine A(2A) receptor agonist, 0.01 nM to 10 microM). Thus, fetal alcohol exposure alters vasomotor sensitivity to VIP in adult intracerebral arterioles - perhaps a compensatory response to alcohol-induced underdevelopment of neurotransmitter pathways involved in cerebral vascular regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Al C Ngai
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA 98195-6320, USA
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Anderson DJ, Mondares RL, Born DE, Gleason CA. The effect of binge fetal alcohol exposure on the number of vasoactive intestinal peptide-producing neurons in fetal sheep brain. Dev Neurosci 2007; 30:276-84. [PMID: 17960055 DOI: 10.1159/000110349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2007] [Accepted: 05/22/2007] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Previously we demonstrated that fetal alcohol exposure attenuates hypoxic cerebral vasodilation in fetal and neonatal sheep. One mechanism may be altered expression of brain vasoactive substances. We hypothesized that early fetal alcohol exposure alters the number of fetal neurons expressing vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP), a potent cerebral vasodilator. Thirteen pregnant ewes received daily i.v. infusions of alcohol (1.5 g/kg) or saline on days 30-54 of gestation (term = 145 days). Fourteen fetal brains (6 alcohol-exposed, 8 saline control) were obtained on gestational day 126. Using unbiased stereology, we counted immunohistochemically-labeled VIP neurons in one half of each forebrain with an optical fractionator. The total NeuN-labeled neurons were similarly counted. Alcohol-exposed fetal sheep brains had fewer VIP-immunopositive neurons per hemisphere, 14.6 x 10(6), compared to saline controls, 19.8 x 10(6). The total neuron number was not different, 1.19 x 10(9) versus 1.23 x 10(9) respectively, indicating a selective decrease in VIP neurons as a result of alcohol exposure. In sheep, alcohol exposure early in gestation is associated with fewer VIP-producing neurons later in gestation compared to saline controls; therefore, alcohol-related changes in the number of VIP-expressing neurons may be responsible in part for the attenuated hypoxic cerebral vasodilation described in fetal and neonatal sheep exposed to alcohol earlier in gestation.
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Affiliation(s)
- David J Anderson
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195-6320, USA
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles E Wood
- Department of Physiology and Functional Genomics, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, FL 32610-0274, USA.
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