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Kang S, Lee J, Choi S, Nesbitt J, Min PH, Trushina E, Choi DS. Moderate ethanol exposure reduces astrocyte-induced neuroinflammatorysignaling and cognitive decline in presymptomatic APP/PS1 mice. RESEARCH SQUARE 2023:rs.3.rs-3627637. [PMID: 38077051 PMCID: PMC10705690 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-3627637/v1] [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: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
Background Alcohol use disorder (AUD) has been associated with the development of neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, recent studies demonstrate that moderate alcohol consumption may be protective against dementia and cognitive decline. Methods We examined astrocyte function, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor-related protein 1 (LRP1), and the NF-κB p65 and IKK-α/β signaling pathways in modulating neuroinflammation and amyloid beta (Aβ) deposition. We assessed apolipoprotein E (ApoE) in the mouse brain using IHC and ELISA in response to moderate ethanol exposure (MEE). First, to confirm the intracerebral distribution of ApoE, we co-stained with GFAP, a marker for astrocytes that biosynthesize ApoE. We sought to investigate whether the ethanol-induced upregulation of LRP1 could potentially inhibit the activity of IL-1β and TNF-α induced IKK-α/β towards NF-κB p65, resulting in a reduction of pro-inflammatory cytokines. To evaluate the actual Aβ load in the brains of APP/PS1 mice, we performed with a specific antibody Aβ (Thioflavin S) on both air- and ethanol-exposed groups, subsequently analyzing Aβ levels. We also measured glucose uptake activity using 18F-FDG in APP/PS1 mice. Finally, we investigated whether MEE induced cognitive and memory changes using the Y maze, noble objective recognition (NOR) test, and Morris water maze (MWM). Results Our findings demonstrate that MEE reduced astrocytic glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and ApoE levels in the cortex and hippocampus in presymptomatic APP/PS1 mice. Interestingly, increased LRP1 protein expression is accompanied by dampening the IKK-α/β-NF-κB p65 pathway, resulting in decreased IL-1β and TNF-α levels in male mice. Notably, female mice show reduced anti-inflammatory cytokines, IL-4, and IL-10 levels without altering IL-1β and TNF-α concentrations. In both males and females, Aβ plaques, a hallmark of AD, were reduced in the cortex and hippocampus of ethanol-exposed presymptomatic APP/PS1 mice. Consistently, MEE increased fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG)-positron emission tomography (PET)-based brain activities and normalized cognitive and memory deficits in the APP/PS1 mice. Conclusions Our findings suggest that MEE may benefit AD pathology via modulating LRP1 expression, potentially reducing neuroinflammation and attenuating Aβ deposition. Our study implies that reduced astrocyte derived ApoE and LDL cholesterol levels are critical for attenuating AD pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jeyeon Lee
- Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, and Science
| | - Sun Choi
- Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, and Science
| | | | - Paul H Min
- Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, and Science
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2
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Bariselli S, Mateo Y, Reuveni N, Lovinger DM. Gestational ethanol exposure impairs motor skills in female mice through dysregulated striatal dopamine and acetylcholine function. Neuropsychopharmacology 2023; 48:1808-1820. [PMID: 37188849 PMCID: PMC10579353 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-023-01594-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2022] [Revised: 03/29/2023] [Accepted: 04/21/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
Fetal alcohol exposure has deleterious consequences on the motor skills of patients affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) and in pre-clinical models of gestational ethanol exposure (GEE). Deficits in striatal cholinergic interneurons (CINs) and dopamine function impair action learning and execution, yet the effects of GEE on acetylcholine (ACh) and striatal dopamine release remain unexplored. Here, we report that alcohol exposure during the first ten postnatal days (GEEP0-P10), which mimics ethanol consumption during the last gestational trimester in humans, induces sex-specific anatomical and motor skill deficits in female mice during adulthood. Consistent with these behavioral impairments, we observed increased stimulus evoked-dopamine levels in the dorsolateral striatum (DLS) of GEEP0-P10 female, but not male, mice. Further experiments revealed sex-specific deficits in β2-containing nicotinic ACh receptor (nAChR)-modulation of electrically evoked dopamine release. Moreover, we found a reduced decay of ACh transients and a decreased excitability of striatal CINs in DLS of GEEP0-P10 females, indicating striatal CIN dysfunctions. Finally, the administration of varenicline, a β2-containing nAChR partial agonist, and chemogenetic-mediated increase in CIN activity improved motor performance in adult GEEP0-P10 females. Altogether, these data shed new light on GEE-induced striatal deficits and establish potential pharmacological and circuit-specific interventions to ameliorate motor symptoms of FASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastiano Bariselli
- Laboratory for Integrative Neuroscience (LIN), NIH-NIAAA, 5625 Fishers Lane, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA.
| | - Yolanda Mateo
- Laboratory for Integrative Neuroscience (LIN), NIH-NIAAA, 5625 Fishers Lane, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Noa Reuveni
- Laboratory for Integrative Neuroscience (LIN), NIH-NIAAA, 5625 Fishers Lane, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - David M Lovinger
- Laboratory for Integrative Neuroscience (LIN), NIH-NIAAA, 5625 Fishers Lane, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
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3
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Vierkant V, Xie X, Wang X, Wang J. Experimental Models of Alcohol Use Disorder and Their Application for Pathophysiological Investigations. Curr Protoc 2023; 3:e831. [PMID: 37358210 PMCID: PMC10434798 DOI: 10.1002/cpz1.831] [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] [Indexed: 06/27/2023]
Abstract
Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a complex disorder characterized by compulsive alcohol use and a lack of control over alcohol intake. Several experimental methods using mouse models have been developed to improve research regarding this disorder. Mouse behavioral paradigms are advantageous in inducing alcohol dependence and evaluating alcohol intake, circumventing ethical issues, and increasing experimental control over human-based experiments. These behavioral methods typically fall under one of two categories: forced exposure and voluntary consumption. This paper highlights two common paradigms used to study AUD in rodent models: one forced exposure method (use of a vapor inhalation system for alcohol exposure) and one voluntary consumption method (the two-bottle choice procedure). The effectiveness and experimental validity of these behavioral paradigms for pathophysiological investigations of AUD and how they can be combined are also discussed, along with their individual strengths and weaknesses. © 2023 The Authors. Current Protocols published by Wiley Periodicals LLC. Basic Protocol 1: Vapor inhalation for exposure to alcohol Basic Protocol 2: Intermittent access two-bottle choice procedure (acquisition) Basic Protocol 3: Intermittent access two-bottle choice procedure (measurement) Alternate Protocol: Sucrose fading to encourage voluntary alcohol consumption.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valerie Vierkant
- Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics, College of Medicine, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, Bryan, Texas 77807; United States
| | - Xueyi Xie
- Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics, College of Medicine, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, Bryan, Texas 77807; United States
| | - Xuehua Wang
- Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics, College of Medicine, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, Bryan, Texas 77807; United States
| | - Jun Wang
- Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics, College of Medicine, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, Bryan, Texas 77807; United States
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4
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Experimental data on developmental elimination of retrosplenial cortex GABAergic interneurons in a mouse model of ethanol exposure during the last trimester of human pregnancy. Data Brief 2022; 43:108355. [PMID: 35734020 PMCID: PMC9207288 DOI: 10.1016/j.dib.2022.108355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2022] [Revised: 05/27/2022] [Accepted: 06/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
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Savage LM, Nunes PT, Gursky ZH, Milbocker KA, Klintsova AY. Midline Thalamic Damage Associated with Alcohol-Use Disorders: Disruption of Distinct Thalamocortical Pathways and Function. Neuropsychol Rev 2021; 31:447-471. [PMID: 32789537 PMCID: PMC7878584 DOI: 10.1007/s11065-020-09450-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2020] [Accepted: 07/30/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The thalamus, a significant part of the diencephalon, is a symmetrical and bilateral central brain structure. The thalamus is subdivided into three major groups of nuclei based on their function: sensorimotor nuclei (or principal/relay nuclei), limbic nuclei and nuclei bridging these two domains. Anatomically, nuclei within the thalamus are described by their location, such as anterior, medial, lateral, ventral, and posterior. In this review, we summarize the role of medial and midline thalamus in cognition, ranging from learning and memory to flexible adaptation. We focus on the discoveries in animal models of alcohol-related brain damage, which identify the loss of neurons in the medial and midline thalamus as drivers of cognitive dysfunction associated with alcohol use disorders. Models of developmental ethanol exposure and models of adult alcohol-related brain damage and are compared and contrasted, and it was revealed that there are similar (anterior thalamus) and different (intralaminar [adult exposure] versus ventral midline [developmental exposure]) thalamic pathology, as well as disruptions of thalamo-hippocampal and thalamo-cortical circuits. The final part of the review summarizes approaches to recover alcohol-related brain damage and cognitive and behavioral outcomes. These approaches include pharmacological, nutritional and behavioral interventions that demonstrated the potential to mitigate alcohol-related damage. In summary, the medial/midline thalamus is a significant contributor to cognition function, which is also sensitive to alcohol-related brain damage across the life span, and plays a role in alcohol-related cognitive dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa M Savage
- Developmental Ethanol Alcohol Research Center, Department of Psychology, Binghamton University, State University of New York, Binghamton, NY, 13902-6000, USA.
| | - Polliana T Nunes
- Developmental Ethanol Alcohol Research Center, Department of Psychology, Binghamton University, State University of New York, Binghamton, NY, 13902-6000, USA
| | - Zachary H Gursky
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA
| | - Katrina A Milbocker
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA
| | - Anna Y Klintsova
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA
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Fu R, Tang Y, Li W, Ren Z, Li D, Zheng J, Zuo W, Chen X, Zuo QK, Tam KL, Zou Y, Bachmann T, Bekker A, Ye JH. Endocannabinoid signaling in the lateral habenula regulates pain and alcohol consumption. Transl Psychiatry 2021; 11:220. [PMID: 33854035 PMCID: PMC8046806 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-021-01337-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2020] [Revised: 03/10/2021] [Accepted: 03/31/2021] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Hyperalgesia, which often occurs in people suffering from alcohol use disorder, may drive excessive drinking and relapse. Emerging evidence suggests that the lateral habenula (LHb) may play a significant role in this condition. Previous research suggests that endocannabinoid signaling (eCBs) is involved in drug addiction and pain, and that the LHb contains core components of the eCBs machinery. We report here our findings in rats subjected to chronic ethanol vapor exposure. We detected a substantial increase in endocannabinoid-related genes, including Mgll and Daglb mRNA levels, as well as monoacylglycerol lipase (MAGL) protein levels, as well as a decrease in Cnr1 mRNA and type-1 cannabinoid receptor (CB1R) protein levels, in the LHb of ethanol-exposed rats. Also, rats withdrawing from ethanol exposure displayed hypersensitivity to mechanical and thermal nociceptive stimuli. Conversely, intra-LHb injection of the MAGL inhibitor JZL184, the fatty acid amide hydrolase inhibitor URB597, or the CB1R agonist WIN55,212-2 produced an analgesic effect, regardless of ethanol or air exposure history, implying that alcohol exposure does not change eCB pain responses. Intra-LHb infusion of the CB1R inverse agonist rimonabant eliminated the analgesic effect of these chemicals. Rimonabant alone elicited hyperalgesia in the air-, but not ethanol-exposed animals. Moreover, intra-LHb JZL184, URB597, or WIN55,212-2 reduced ethanol consumption in both homecages and operant chambers in rats exposed to ethanol vapor but not air. These findings suggest that LHb eCBs play a pivotal role in nociception and facilitating LHb eCBs may attenuate pain in drinkers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rao Fu
- Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology, Physiology & Neuroscience, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ, 07103, USA
- Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510080, China
| | - Ying Tang
- Department of Microbiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ, 07103, USA
| | - Wenfu Li
- Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510080, China
| | - Zhiheng Ren
- Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510080, China
| | - Ding Li
- Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology, Physiology & Neuroscience, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ, 07103, USA
| | - Jiayi Zheng
- Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology, Physiology & Neuroscience, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ, 07103, USA
| | - Wanhong Zuo
- Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology, Physiology & Neuroscience, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ, 07103, USA
| | - Xuejun Chen
- Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology, Physiology & Neuroscience, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ, 07103, USA
| | - Qi Kang Zuo
- Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology, Physiology & Neuroscience, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ, 07103, USA
| | - Kelsey L Tam
- Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology, Physiology & Neuroscience, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ, 07103, USA
| | - Yucong Zou
- Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology, Physiology & Neuroscience, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ, 07103, USA
| | - Thomas Bachmann
- Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology, Physiology & Neuroscience, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ, 07103, USA
| | - Alex Bekker
- Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology, Physiology & Neuroscience, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ, 07103, USA
| | - Jiang-Hong Ye
- Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology, Physiology & Neuroscience, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ, 07103, USA.
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7
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Enhancement of parvalbumin interneuron-mediated neurotransmission in the retrosplenial cortex of adolescent mice following third trimester-equivalent ethanol exposure. Sci Rep 2021; 11:1716. [PMID: 33462326 PMCID: PMC7814038 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-81173-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2020] [Accepted: 01/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Prenatal ethanol exposure causes a variety of cognitive deficits that have a persistent impact on quality of life, some of which may be explained by ethanol-induced alterations in interneuron function. Studies from several laboratories, including our own, have demonstrated that a single binge-like ethanol exposure during the equivalent to the third trimester of human pregnancy leads to acute apoptosis and long-term loss of interneurons in the rodent retrosplenial cortex (RSC). The RSC is interconnected with the hippocampus, thalamus, and other neocortical regions and plays distinct roles in visuospatial processing and storage, as well as retrieval of hippocampal-dependent episodic memories. Here we used slice electrophysiology to characterize the acute effects of ethanol on GABAergic neurotransmission in the RSC of neonatal mice, as well as the long-term effects of neonatal ethanol exposure on parvalbumin-interneuron mediated neurotransmission in adolescent mice. Mice were exposed to ethanol using vapor inhalation chambers. In postnatal day (P) 7 mouse pups, ethanol unexpectedly failed to potentiate GABAA receptor-mediated synaptic transmission. Binge-like ethanol exposure of P7 mice expressing channel rhodopsin in parvalbumin-positive interneurons enhanced the peak amplitudes, asynchronous activity and total charge, while decreasing the rise-times of optically-evoked GABAA receptor-mediated inhibitory postsynaptic currents in adolescent animals. These effects could partially explain the learning and memory deficits that have been documented in adolescent and young adult mice exposed to ethanol during the third trimester-equivalent developmental period.
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8
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Gamble ME, Diaz MR. Moderate Adolescent Ethanol Vapor Exposure and Acute Stress in Adulthood: Sex-Dependent Effects on Social Behavior and Ethanol Intake in Sprague-Dawley Rats. Brain Sci 2020; 10:E829. [PMID: 33171857 PMCID: PMC7695197 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci10110829] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2020] [Revised: 10/25/2020] [Accepted: 11/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Adolescent alcohol use can lead to numerous consequences, including altered stress reactivity and higher risk for later anxiety and alcohol use disorders. Many studies have examined the consequences of heavy ethanol exposure in adolescence, but far less is understood about lower levels of intoxication. The present study examined moderate adolescent ethanol exposure as a possible factor in increasing stress reactivity in adulthood, measured through general and social anxiety-like behaviors, as well voluntary ethanol intake. Male and female Sprague-Dawley rats underwent an adolescent chronic intermittent ethanol (aCIE) vapor exposure during early adolescence, reaching moderate blood ethanol concentrations. Animals then underwent two days of forced swim stress in adulthood. We found that ethanol-exposed males consumed more ethanol than their air counterparts and an interesting stress and ethanol exposure interaction in males. There were no significant effects on voluntary drinking in females. However, the social interaction test revealed increased play-fighting behavior in ethanol-exposed females and reduced social preference in females after two days of stress exposure. Overall, this work provides evidence for sex-specific, long-term effects of moderate aCIE and susceptibility to acute stress in adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meredith E. Gamble
- Department of Psychology, Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY 13902, USA;
- Developmental Exposure Alcohol Research Center, Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY 13902, USA
| | - Marvin R. Diaz
- Department of Psychology, Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY 13902, USA;
- Center for Development and Behavioral Neuroscience, Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY 13902, USA
- Developmental Exposure Alcohol Research Center, Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY 13902, USA
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9
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Jacquez B, Choi H, Bird CW, Linsenbardt DN, Valenzuela CF. Characterization of motor function in mice developmentally exposed to ethanol using the Catwalk system: Comparison with the triple horizontal bar and rotarod tests. Behav Brain Res 2020; 396:112885. [PMID: 32860829 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2020.112885] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2020] [Revised: 08/05/2020] [Accepted: 08/21/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Studies with human subjects indicate that ethanol exposure during fetal development causes long-lasting alterations in motor coordination that are, in part, a consequence of cerebellar damage. Studies with rats exposed to ethanol during the neonatal brain growth spurt have consistently recapitulated these deficits. However, studies with mice have yielded mixed results. We hypothesized that the use of highly sensitive motor function tests, such as the Catwalk test, would reliably detect motor function deficits in mice developmentally exposed to ethanol. Venus-vesicular GABA transporter transgenic mice were ethanol exposed during postnatal days 4-9 using vapor inhalation chambers and then subjected to the Catwalk test during adolescence. Catwalk data were rigorously analyzed using an innovative multistep statistical approach. For comparison, motor coordination and strength were assessed with the triple horizontal bar and rotarod tests. Unexpectedly, we found that out of 186 parameters analyzed in the Catwalk test, only one was affected by ethanol exposure (i.e., reduced coupling between left front paw and the right hind paw). In the triple horizontal bar test, ethanol-exposed mice were able to hold to the bars for less time than controls. Surprisingly, ethanol-exposed mice performed better in the rotarod test than controls. These data indicate that neonatal ethanol exposure of mice causes mixed effects on motor function during adolescence. The Catwalk test suggests that gait is generally preserved in these mice, whereas the triple horizontal bar test revealed deficits on motor strength and the rotarod test an increase in motor coordination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Belkis Jacquez
- Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM, United States
| | - Hyesun Choi
- Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM, United States
| | - Clark W Bird
- Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM, United States
| | - David N Linsenbardt
- Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM, United States
| | - C Fernando Valenzuela
- Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM, United States.
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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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Bird CW, Barber MJ, Post HR, Jacquez B, Chavez GJ, Faturos NG, Valenzuela CF. Neonatal ethanol exposure triggers apoptosis in the murine retrosplenial cortex: Role of inhibition of NMDA receptor-driven action potential firing. Neuropharmacology 2019; 162:107837. [PMID: 31689422 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2019.107837] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2019] [Revised: 10/07/2019] [Accepted: 10/30/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Exposure to ethanol during the last trimester equivalent of human pregnancy causes apoptotic neurodegeneration in the developing brain, an effect that is thought to be mediated, in part, by inhibition of NMDA receptors. However, NMDA receptors can rapidly adapt to the acute effects of ethanol and are ethanol resistant in some populations of developing neurons. Here, we characterized the effect of ethanol on NMDA and non-NMDA receptor-mediated synaptic transmission in the retrosplenial cortex (RSC), a brain region involved in the integration of different modalities of spatial information that is among the most sensitive regions to ethanol-induced neurodegeneration. A single 4-h exposure to ethanol vapor of 7-day-old transgenic mice that express the Venus fluorescent protein in interneurons triggered extensive apoptosis in the RSC. Slice electrophysiological recordings showed that bath-applied ethanol inhibits NMDA and non-NMDA receptor excitatory postsynaptic currents (EPSCs) in pyramidal neurons and interneurons; however, we found no evidence of acute tolerance development to this effect after the 4-h in-vivo ethanol vapor exposure. Acute bath application of ethanol reduced action potential firing evoked by synaptic stimulation to a greater extent in pyramidal neurons than interneurons. Submaximal inhibition of NMDA EPSCs, but not non-NMDA EPSCs, mimicked the acute effect of ethanol on synaptically-evoked action potential firing. These findings indicate that partial inhibition of NMDA receptors by ethanol has sizable effects on the excitability of glutamatergic and GABAergic neurons in the developing RSC, and suggest that positive allosteric modulators of these receptors could ameliorate ethanol intoxication-induced neurodegeneration during late stages of fetal development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clark W Bird
- Department of Neurosciences, School of Medicine, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
| | - Megan J Barber
- Department of Neurosciences, School of Medicine, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
| | - Hilary R Post
- Department of Neurosciences, School of Medicine, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
| | - Belkis Jacquez
- Department of Neurosciences, School of Medicine, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
| | - Glenna J Chavez
- Department of Neurosciences, School of Medicine, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
| | - Nicholas G Faturos
- Department of Neurosciences, School of Medicine, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
| | - C Fernando Valenzuela
- Department of Neurosciences, School of Medicine, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA.
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12
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Shanmugam S, Patel D, Wolpert JM, Keshvani C, Liu X, Bergeson SE, Kidambi S, Mahimainathan L, Henderson GI, Narasimhan M. Ethanol Impairs NRF2/Antioxidant and Growth Signaling in the Intact Placenta In Vivo and in Human Trophoblasts. Biomolecules 2019; 9:biom9110669. [PMID: 31671572 PMCID: PMC6921053 DOI: 10.3390/biom9110669] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2019] [Revised: 10/25/2019] [Accepted: 10/27/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
NRF2 is a redox-sensitive transcription factor that depending on the duration or magnitude of the stress, either translocates to the nucleus (beneficial) or is degraded in the cytosol (harmful). However, the role of NRF2-based mechanism(s) under ethanol (E)-induced developmental toxicity in the placental context remains unknown. Here, we used a rat prenatal model of maternal alcohol stress consisting of intermittent ethanol vapor (IEV) daily from GD11 to GD20 with a 6 h ON/18 h OFF in a vapor chamber and in vitro placental model consisting of HTR-8 trophoblasts exposed to 86 mM of E for either 24 h or 48 h. The role of NRF2 was evaluated through the NRF2-transactivation reporter assay, qRT-PCR, and Western blotting for NRF2 and cell growth-promoting protein, and cell proliferation assay. In utero and in vitro E decreased the nuclear NRF2 content and diminished its transactivation ability along with dysregulation of the proliferation indices, PCNA, CYCLIN-D1, and p21. This was associated with a ~50% reduction in cell proliferation in vitro in trophoblasts. Interestingly, this was found to be partially rescued by ectopic Nrf2 overexpression. These results indicate that ethanol-induced dysregulation of NRF2 coordinately regulates PCNA/CYCLIN-D1/p21 involving growth network, at least partially to set a stage for placental perturbations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sambantham Shanmugam
- Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC), Lubbock, TX 79430, USA.
| | - Dhyanesh Patel
- Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC), Lubbock, TX 79430, USA.
| | - John M Wolpert
- Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC), Lubbock, TX 79430, USA.
| | - Caezaan Keshvani
- Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC), Lubbock, TX 79430, USA.
| | - Xiaobo Liu
- Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC), Lubbock, TX 79430, USA.
| | - Susan E Bergeson
- Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC), Lubbock, TX 79430, USA.
| | - Srivatsan Kidambi
- Department of Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE 68588, USA.
| | - Lenin Mahimainathan
- Department Pathology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA.
| | - George I Henderson
- Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC), Lubbock, TX 79430, USA.
| | - Madhusudhanan Narasimhan
- Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC), Lubbock, TX 79430, USA.
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13
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Gustus K, Lozano E, Newville J, Li L, Valenzuela CF, Cunningham LA. Resistance of Postnatal Hippocampal Neurogenesis to Alcohol Toxicity in a Third Trimester-Equivalent Mouse Model of Gestational Alcohol Exposure. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2019; 43:2504-2513. [PMID: 31573091 DOI: 10.1111/acer.14207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2019] [Accepted: 09/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The adult hippocampal dentate is comprised of both developmentally generated dentate granule cells (dDGCs) and adult-generated dentate granule cells (aDGCs), which play distinct roles in hippocampal information processing and network function. EtOH exposure throughout gestation in mouse impairs the neurogenic response to enriched environment (EE) in adulthood, although the basal rate of adult neurogenesis under standard housing (SH) is unaffected. Here, we tested whether the production and/or survival of either dDGCs or aDGCs are selectively impaired following exposure of mice to EtOH vapors during early postnatal development (human third trimester-equivalent), and whether this exposure paradigm leads to impairment of EE-mediated dentate neurogenesis in adulthood. METHODS All experiments were performed using NestinCreERT2 :tdTomato bitransgenic mice, which harbor a tamoxifen-inducible tdTomato (tdTom) reporter for indelible labeling of newborn hippocampal DGCs. We exposed all mice to EtOH vapor or room air (Control) for 4 h/d from postnatal day (PND) 3 through PND 15. This paradigm resulted in a mean daily postexposure blood EtOH concentration of ~160 mg/dl. One cohort of neonatal mice received a single injection of tamoxifen at PND 2 and was sacrificed at either PND 16 or PND 50 to assess the impact of EtOH exposure on the production and long-term survival of dDGCs born during the early postnatal period. A second cohort of mice received daily injections of tamoxifen at PND 35 to 39 to label aDGCs and was exposed to SH or EE for 6 weeks prior to sacrifice. RESULTS Early postnatal EtOH exposure had no statistically significant effect on the production or survival of tdTom+ dDGCs, as assessed at PND 16 or PND 50. Early postnatal EtOH exposure also had no effect on the number of tdTom+ aDGCs under SH conditions. Furthermore, early postnatal EtOH exposure had no significant impact on the adult neurogenic response to EE. CONCLUSIONS Both early postnatal dentate neurogenesis and adult dentate neurogenesis, as well as the adult neurogenic response to EE, are surprisingly resistant to early postnatal EtOH vapor exposure in mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kymberly Gustus
- Department of Neuroscience, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, New Mexico
| | - Evelyn Lozano
- Department of Neuroscience, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, New Mexico
| | - Jessie Newville
- Department of Neuroscience, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, New Mexico
| | - Lu Li
- Department of Neuroscience, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, New Mexico
| | | | - Lee Anna Cunningham
- Department of Neuroscience, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, New Mexico
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14
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Lindberg D, Ho AMC, Peyton L, Choi DS. Chronic Ethanol Exposure Disrupts Lactate and Glucose Homeostasis and Induces Dysfunction of the Astrocyte-Neuron Lactate Shuttle in the Brain. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2019; 43:1838-1847. [PMID: 31237693 PMCID: PMC6722005 DOI: 10.1111/acer.14137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2019] [Accepted: 06/14/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Impairment of monocarboxylate transporter (MCT)-dependent astrocyte-neuron lactate transfer disrupts long-term memory and erases drug-associated memories in mice. However, few studies have examined how drugs of abuse alter astrocyte-neuron lactate transfer in neurocircuits related to addiction. This is particularly pertinent for ethanol (EtOH), which has been demonstrated to impair central nervious system (CNS) glucose uptake and significantly alter peripheral levels of glucose, lactate, acetate, and ketones. METHODS We subjected C57BL/6J mice to a chronic intermittent EtOH (CIE) exposure paradigm to investigate how chronic EtOH exposure alters the concentration of glucose and lactate within the serum and CNS during withdrawal. Next, we determine how chronic injections of lactate (1 g/kg, twice daily for 2 weeks) influence central and peripheral glucose and lactate concentrations. Finally, we determine how CIE and chronic lactate injection affect astrocyte-neuron lactate transfer by analyzing the expression of MCTs. RESULTS Our results show that CIE induces lasting changes in CNS glucose and lactate concentrations, accompanied by increased expression of MCTs. Interestingly, although chronic lactate injection mimics the effect of EtOH on CNS metabolites, chronic lactate injection is not associated with increased expression of MCTs. CONCLUSION CIE increases CNS concentrations of glucose and lactate and augments the expression of MCTs. Although we found that chronic lactate injection mimics EtOH-induced increases in CNS lactate and glucose, lactate failed to alter the expression of MCTs. This suggests that although lactate may influence the homeostasis of bioenergetic molecules in the CNS, EtOH-associated increases in lactate are not responsible for increased MCT expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Lindberg
- Mayo Clinic MD/PhD Program, Mayo Clinic School of Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, 55905
- Neuroscience Program, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, Minnesota, 55905
| | - Ada Man Choi Ho
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Mayo Clinic School of Medicine, Rochester, MN, 55905
| | - Lee Peyton
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Mayo Clinic School of Medicine, Rochester, MN, 55905
| | - Doo-Sup Choi
- Neuroscience Program, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, Minnesota, 55905
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Mayo Clinic School of Medicine, Rochester, MN, 55905
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, Minnesota, 55905
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15
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Bird CW, Baculis BC, Mayfield JJ, Chavez GJ, Ontiveros T, Paine DJ, Marks AJ, Gonzales AL, Ron D, Valenzuela CF. The brain-derived neurotrophic factor VAL68MET polymorphism modulates how developmental ethanol exposure impacts the hippocampus. GENES, BRAIN, AND BEHAVIOR 2019; 18:e12484. [PMID: 29691979 PMCID: PMC6291361 DOI: 10.1111/gbb.12484] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2018] [Revised: 04/03/2018] [Accepted: 04/18/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Prenatal exposure to alcohol causes a wide range of deficits known as fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs). Many factors determine vulnerability to developmental alcohol exposure including timing and pattern of exposure, nutrition and genetics. Here, we characterized how a prevalent single nucleotide polymorphism in the human brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) gene (val66met) modulates FASDs severity. This polymorphism disrupts BDNF's intracellular trafficking and activity-dependent secretion, and has been linked to increased incidence of neuropsychiatric disorders such as depression and anxiety. We hypothesized that developmental ethanol (EtOH) exposure more severely affects mice carrying this polymorphism. We used transgenic mice homozygous for either valine (BDNFval/val ) or methionine (BDNFmet/met ) in residue 68, equivalent to residue 66 in humans. To model EtOH exposure during the second and third trimesters of human pregnancy, we exposed mice to EtOH in vapor chambers during gestational days 12 to 19 and postnatal days 2 to 9. We found that EtOH exposure reduces cell layer volume in the dentate gyrus and the CA1 hippocampal regions of BDNFmet/met but not BDNFval/val mice during the juvenile period (postnatal day 15). During adulthood, EtOH exposure reduced anxiety-like behavior and disrupted trace fear conditioning in BDNFmet/met mice, with most effects observed in males. EtOH exposure reduced adult neurogenesis only in the ventral hippocampus of BDNFval/val male mice. These studies show that the BDNF val66met polymorphism modulates, in a complex manner, the effects of developmental EtOH exposure, and identify a novel genetic risk factor that may regulate FASDs severity in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clark W. Bird
- Department of Neurosciences, School of Medicine, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, New Mexico, U.S.A
| | - Brian C. Baculis
- Department of Neurosciences, School of Medicine, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, New Mexico, U.S.A
| | - Jacob J. Mayfield
- Department of Neurosciences, School of Medicine, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, New Mexico, U.S.A
| | - Glenna J. Chavez
- Department of Neurosciences, School of Medicine, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, New Mexico, U.S.A
| | - Tiahna Ontiveros
- Department of Neurosciences, School of Medicine, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, New Mexico, U.S.A
| | - Dana J. Paine
- Department of Neurosciences, School of Medicine, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, New Mexico, U.S.A
| | - Aaron J. Marks
- Department of Neurosciences, School of Medicine, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, New Mexico, U.S.A
| | - Alicia L. Gonzales
- Department of Neurosciences, School of Medicine, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, New Mexico, U.S.A
| | - Dorit Ron
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, U.S.A
| | - C. Fernando Valenzuela
- Department of Neurosciences, School of Medicine, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, New Mexico, U.S.A
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16
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Bird CW, Taylor DH, Pinkowski NJ, Chavez GJ, Valenzuela CF. Long-term Reductions in the Population of GABAergic Interneurons in the Mouse Hippocampus following Developmental Ethanol Exposure. Neuroscience 2018; 383:60-73. [PMID: 29753864 PMCID: PMC5994377 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2018.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2017] [Revised: 04/27/2018] [Accepted: 05/02/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Developmental exposure to ethanol leads to a constellation of cognitive and behavioral abnormalities known as Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASDs). Many cell types throughout the central nervous system are negatively impacted by gestational alcohol exposure, including inhibitory, GABAergic interneurons. Little evidence exists, however, describing the long-term impact of fetal alcohol exposure on survival of interneurons within the hippocampal formation, which is critical for learning and memory processes that are impaired in individuals with FASDs. Mice expressing Venus yellow fluorescent protein in inhibitory interneurons were exposed to vaporized ethanol during the third trimester equivalent of human gestation (postnatal days 2-9), and the long-term effects on interneuron numbers were measured using unbiased stereology at P90. In adulthood, interneuron populations were reduced in every hippocampal region examined. Moreover, we found that a single exposure to ethanol at P7 caused robust activation of apoptotic neurodegeneration of interneurons in the hilus, granule cell layer, CA1 and CA3 regions of the hippocampus. These studies demonstrate that developmental ethanol exposure has a long-term impact on hippocampal interneuron survivability, and may provide a mechanism partially explaining deficits in hippocampal function and hippocampus-dependent behaviors in those afflicted with FASDs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clark W Bird
- Department of Neurosciences, School of Medicine, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Devin H Taylor
- Department of Neurosciences, School of Medicine, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Natalie J Pinkowski
- Department of Neurosciences, School of Medicine, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - G Jill Chavez
- Department of Neurosciences, School of Medicine, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - C Fernando Valenzuela
- Department of Neurosciences, School of Medicine, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM, USA.
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17
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Wong EL, Lutz NM, Hogan VA, Lamantia CE, McMurray HR, Myers JR, Ashton JM, Majewska AK. Developmental alcohol exposure impairs synaptic plasticity without overtly altering microglial function in mouse visual cortex. Brain Behav Immun 2018; 67:257-278. [PMID: 28918081 PMCID: PMC5696045 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2017.09.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2017] [Revised: 08/23/2017] [Accepted: 09/04/2017] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD), caused by gestational ethanol (EtOH) exposure, is one of the most common causes of non-heritable and life-long mental disability worldwide, with no standard treatment or therapy available. While EtOH exposure can alter the function of both neurons and glia, it is still unclear how EtOH influences brain development to cause deficits in sensory and cognitive processing later in life. Microglia play an important role in shaping synaptic function and plasticity during neural circuit development and have been shown to mount an acute immunological response to EtOH exposure in certain brain regions. Therefore, we hypothesized that microglial roles in the healthy brain could be permanently altered by early EtOH exposure leading to deficits in experience-dependent plasticity. We used a mouse model of human third trimester high binge EtOH exposure, administering EtOH twice daily by subcutaneous injections from postnatal day 4 through postnatal day 9 (P4-:P9). Using a monocular deprivation model to assess ocular dominance plasticity, we found an EtOH-induced deficit in this type of visually driven experience-dependent plasticity. However, using a combination of immunohistochemistry, confocal microscopy, and in vivo two-photon microscopy to assay microglial morphology and dynamics, as well as fluorescence activated cell sorting (FACS) and RNA-seq to examine the microglial transcriptome, we found no evidence of microglial dysfunction in early adolescence. We also found no evidence of microglial activation in visual cortex acutely after early ethanol exposure, possibly because we also did not observe EtOH-induced neuronal cell death in this brain region. We conclude that early EtOH exposure caused a deficit in experience-dependent synaptic plasticity in the visual cortex that was independent of changes in microglial phenotype or function. This demonstrates that neural plasticity can remain impaired by developmental ethanol exposure even in a brain region where microglia do not acutely assume nor maintain an activated phenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elissa L. Wong
- Dept. of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | - Nina M. Lutz
- Dept. of Neuroscience, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | - Victoria A. Hogan
- Dept. of Neuroscience, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | - Cassandra E. Lamantia
- Dept. of Neuroscience, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | - Helene R. McMurray
- Dept. of Biomedical Genetics, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY14642, USA,Inst. For Innovative Education, Miner Libraries, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | - Jason R. Myers
- Genomics Research Center, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642, USA,Dept. of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | - John M. Ashton
- Genomics Research Center, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642, USA,Dept. of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | - Ania K. Majewska
- Dept. of Neuroscience, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642, USA,Corresponding author: Ania K. Majewska:
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18
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Rouzer SK, Cole JM, Johnson JM, Varlinskaya EI, Diaz MR. Moderate Maternal Alcohol Exposure on Gestational Day 12 Impacts Anxiety-Like Behavior in Offspring. Front Behav Neurosci 2017; 11:183. [PMID: 29033803 PMCID: PMC5626811 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2017.00183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2017] [Accepted: 09/14/2017] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Among the numerous consequences of prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) is an increase in anxiety-like behavior that can prove debilitating to daily functioning. A significant body of literature has linked gestational day 12 (G12) heavy ethanol exposure with social anxiety, evident in adolescent males and females. However, the association between non-social anxiety-like behavior and moderate alcohol exposure, a more common pattern of drinking in pregnant women, is yet unidentified. To model moderate PAE (mPAE), we exposed pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats to either room air or vaporized ethanol for 6 h on G12. Adolescent offspring were then tested on postnatal days (P) 41-47 in one of the following four anxiety assays: novelty-induced hypophagia (NIH), elevated plus maze (EPM), light-dark box (LDB) and open-field (OF). Our findings revealed significant increases in measures of anxiety-like behavior in male PAE offspring in the NIH, LDB and OF, with no differences observed in females on any test. Additionally, male offspring who demonstrated heightened anxiety-like behavior as adolescents demonstrated decreased anxiety-like behavior in adulthood, as measured by a marble-burying test (MBT), while females continued to be unaffected in adulthood. These results suggest that mPAE leads to dynamic changes in anxiety-like behavior exclusively in male offspring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siara K Rouzer
- Department of Psychology, Center for Development and Behavioral Neuroscience, Developmental Exposure Alcohol Research Center, Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY, United States
| | - Jesse M Cole
- Department of Psychology, Center for Development and Behavioral Neuroscience, Developmental Exposure Alcohol Research Center, Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY, United States
| | - Julia M Johnson
- Department of Psychology, Center for Development and Behavioral Neuroscience, Developmental Exposure Alcohol Research Center, Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY, United States
| | - Elena I Varlinskaya
- Department of Psychology, Center for Development and Behavioral Neuroscience, Developmental Exposure Alcohol Research Center, Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY, United States
| | - Marvin R Diaz
- Department of Psychology, Center for Development and Behavioral Neuroscience, Developmental Exposure Alcohol Research Center, Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY, United States
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19
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Newville J, Valenzuela CF, Li L, Jantzie LL, Cunningham LA. Acute oligodendrocyte loss with persistent white matter injury in a third trimester equivalent mouse model of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder. Glia 2017; 65:1317-1332. [PMID: 28518477 DOI: 10.1002/glia.23164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2016] [Revised: 04/03/2017] [Accepted: 04/20/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Alcohol exposure during central nervous system (CNS) development can lead to fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD). Human imaging studies have revealed significant white matter (WM) abnormalities linked to cognitive impairment in children with FASD; however, the underlying mechanisms remain unknown. Here, we evaluated both the acute and long-term impacts of alcohol exposure on oligodendrocyte number and WM integrity in a third trimester-equivalent mouse model of FASD, in which mouse pups were exposed to alcohol during the first 2 weeks of postnatal development. Our results demonstrate a 58% decrease in the number of mature oligodendrocytes (OLs) and a 75% decrease in the number of proliferating oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPCs) within the corpus callosum of alcohol-exposed mice at postnatal day 16 (P16). Interestingly, neither mature OLs nor OPCs derived from the postnatal subventricular zone (SVZ) were numerically affected by alcohol exposure, indicating heterogeneity in susceptibility based on OL ontogenetic origin. Although mature OL and proliferating OPC numbers recovered by postnatal day 50 (P50), abnormalities in myelin protein expression and microstructure within the corpus callosum of alcohol-exposed subjects persisted, as assessed by western immunoblotting of myelin basic protein (MBP; decreased expression) and MRI diffusion tensor imaging (DTI; decreased fractional anisotropy). These results indicate that third trimester-equivalent alcohol exposure leads to an acute, albeit recoverable, decrease in OL lineage cell numbers, accompanied by enduring WM injury. Additionally, our finding of heterogeneity in alcohol susceptibility based on the developmental origin of OLs may have therapeutic implications in FASD and other disorders of WM development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessie Newville
- Department of Neurosciences, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, New Mexico
| | | | - Lu Li
- Department of Neurosciences, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, New Mexico
| | - Lauren L Jantzie
- Department of Neurosciences, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, New Mexico.,Department of Pediatrics, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, New Mexico
| | - Lee Anna Cunningham
- Department of Neurosciences, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, New Mexico
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20
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Nirgudkar P, Taylor DH, Yanagawa Y, Valenzuela CF. Ethanol exposure during development reduces GABAergic/glycinergic neuron numbers and lobule volumes in the mouse cerebellar vermis. Neurosci Lett 2016; 632:86-91. [PMID: 27565053 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2016.08.039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2016] [Revised: 08/05/2016] [Accepted: 08/22/2016] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Cerebellar alterations are a hallmark of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders and are thought to be responsible for deficits in fine motor control, motor learning, balance, and higher cognitive functions. These deficits are, in part, a consequence of dysfunction of cerebellar circuits. Although the effect of developmental ethanol exposure on Purkinje and granule cells has been previously characterized, its actions on other cerebellar neuronal populations are not fully understood. Here, we assessed the impact of repeated ethanol exposure on the number of inhibitory neurons in the cerebellar vermis. We exposed pregnant mice to ethanol in vapor inhalation chambers during gestational days 12-19 and offspring during postnatal days 2-9. We used transgenic mice expressing the fluorescent protein, Venus, in GABAergic/glycinergic neurons. Using unbiased stereology techniques, we detected a reduction in Venus positive neurons in the molecular and granule cell layers of lobule II in the ethanol exposed group at postnatal day 16. In contrast, ethanol produced a more widespread reduction in Purkinje cell numbers that involved lobules II, IV-V and IX. We also found a reduction in the volume of lobules II, IV-V, VI-VII, IX and X in ethanol-exposed pups. These findings indicate that second and third trimester-equivalent ethanol exposure has a greater impact on Purkinje cells than interneurons in the developing cerebellar vermis. The decrease in the volume of most lobules could be a consequence of a reduction in cell numbers, dendritic arborizations, or axonal projections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pranita Nirgudkar
- Division of Maternal Fetal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Medicine, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM 87131, U.S.A
| | - Devin H Taylor
- Department of Neurosciences, School of Medicine, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM 87131, U.S.A
| | - Yuchio Yanagawa
- Department of Genetic and Behavioral Neuroscience, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, Maebashi 371-8511, Japan
| | - C Fernando Valenzuela
- Department of Neurosciences, School of Medicine, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM 87131, U.S.A..
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21
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Morton RA, Valenzuela CF. Third Trimester Equivalent Alcohol Exposure Reduces Modulation of Glutamatergic Synaptic Transmission by 5-HT1A Receptors in the Rat Hippocampal CA3 Region. Front Neurosci 2016; 10:266. [PMID: 27375424 PMCID: PMC4896948 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2016.00266] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2016] [Accepted: 05/26/2016] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Fetal alcohol exposure has been associated with many neuropsychiatric disorders that have been linked to altered serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine; 5-HT) signaling, including depression and anxiety. During the first 2 weeks of postnatal life in rodents (equivalent to the third trimester of human pregnancy) 5-HT neurons undergo significant functional maturation and their axons reach target regions in the forebrain (e.g., cortex and hippocampus). The objective of this study was to identify the effects of third trimester ethanol (EtOH) exposure on hippocampal 5-HT signaling. Using EtOH vapor inhalation chambers, we exposed rat pups to EtOH for 4 h/day from postnatal day (P) 2 to P12. The average serum EtOH concentration in the pups was 0.13 ± 0.04 g/dl (legal intoxication limit in humans = 0.08 g/dl). We used brain slices to assess the modulatory actions of 5-HT on field excitatory postsynaptic potentials in the hippocampal CA3 region at P13-P15. Application of the GABAA/glycine receptor antagonist, picrotoxin, caused broadening of field excitatory postsynaptic potentials (fEPSPs), an effect that was reversed by application of 5-HT in slices from air exposed rats. However, this effect of 5-HT was absent in EtOH exposed animals. In slices from naïve animals, application of a 5-HT1A receptor antagonist blocked the effect of 5-HT on the fEPSPs recorded in presence of picrotoxin, suggesting that third trimester ethanol exposure acts by inhibiting the function of these receptors. Studies indicate that 5-HT1A receptors play a critical role in the development of hippocampal circuits. Therefore, inhibition of these receptors by third trimester ethanol exposure could contribute to the pathophysiology of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Russell A Morton
- Department of Neurosciences, School of Medicine, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - C Fernando Valenzuela
- Department of Neurosciences, School of Medicine, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center Albuquerque, NM, USA
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22
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Morton RA, Valenzuela CF. Further characterization of the effect of ethanol on voltage-gated Ca(2+) channel function in developing CA3 hippocampal pyramidal neurons. Brain Res 2015; 1633:19-26. [PMID: 26711851 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2015.12.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2015] [Revised: 11/16/2015] [Accepted: 12/14/2015] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Developmental ethanol exposure damages the hippocampus, a brain region involved in learning and memory. Alterations in synaptic transmission and plasticity may play a role in this effect of ethanol. We previously reported that acute and repeated exposure to ethanol during the third trimester-equivalent inhibits long-term potentiation of GABAA receptor-dependent synaptic currents in CA3 pyramidal neurons through a mechanism that depends on retrograde release of brain-derived neurotrophic factor driven by activation of voltage-gated Ca(2+) channels (Zucca and Valenzuela, 2010). We found evidence indicating that voltage-gated Ca(2+) channels are inhibited in the presence of ethanol, an effect that may play a role in its mechanism of action. Here, we further investigated the acute effect of ethanol on the function of voltage-gated Ca(2+) channels in CA3 pyramidal neurons using Ca(2+) imaging techniques. These experiments revealed that acute ethanol exposure inhibits voltage-gated Ca(2+) channels both in somatic and proximal dendritic compartments. To investigate the long-term consequences of ethanol on voltage-gated Ca(2+) channels, we used patch-clamp electrophysiological techniques to assess the function of L-type voltage-gated Ca(2+) channels during and following ten days of vapor ethanol exposure. During ethanol withdrawal periods, the function of these channels was not significantly affected by vapor chamber exposure. Taken together with our previous findings, our results suggest that 3(rd) trimester-equivalent ethanol exposure transiently inhibits L-type voltage-gated Ca(2+) channel function in CA3 pyramidal neurons and that compensatory mechanisms restore their function during ethanol withdrawal. Transient inhibition of these channels by ethanol may be, in part, responsible for the hippocampal abnormalities associated with developmental exposure to this agent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Russell A Morton
- Department of Neurosciences, School of Medicine, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - C Fernando Valenzuela
- Department of Neurosciences, School of Medicine, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM, USA.
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23
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Marquardt K, Sigdel R, Caldwell K, Brigman JL. Prenatal ethanol exposure impairs executive function in mice into adulthood. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2015; 38:2962-8. [PMID: 25581651 DOI: 10.1111/acer.12577] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2014] [Accepted: 09/11/2014] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Despite evidence that prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) can lead to a wide range of impairments in cognitive, social, and emotional behaviors, drinking during pregnancy remains common. Although there is a general understanding that high levels of drinking during pregnancy are unsafe, conflicting evidence regarding the impact of low intake may account for the persistence of this behavior. METHODS To investigate the effects of PAE on learning and executive control, we utilized a voluntary paradigm where pregnant mice had access to a saccharin-sweetened 10% alcohol solution for 4 hours, during the dark cycle, throughout gestation. Male and female offspring were tested as adults on a touch-screen discrimination and reversal task mediated by corticostriatal circuits. RESULTS Consistent with previous findings, PAE did not lead to gross morphological, motor, or sensory alterations in offspring. Both PAE and saccharin control female mice were slower to acquire the discrimination than males, but PAE did not impair associative learning in either sex. During reversal, PAE led to a specific and significant impairment in the early phase, where cortical control is most required to flexibly alter choice behavior. PAE mice showed a significant increase in maladaptive perseverative responses but showed intact learning of the new association during late reversal. CONCLUSIONS Previously, data from clinical studies have suggested that executive control deficits may underlie cognitive, as well as social, problems seen in adolescents with documented PAE. These data demonstrate that even more moderate alcohol exposure during development can lead to impaired cognitive functioning well into adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristin Marquardt
- Department of Neurosciences, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, New Mexico
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24
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Baculis BC, Diaz MR, Valenzuela CF. Third trimester-equivalent ethanol exposure increases anxiety-like behavior and glutamatergic transmission in the basolateral amygdala. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2015; 137:78-85. [PMID: 26284742 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2015.08.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2015] [Revised: 06/30/2015] [Accepted: 08/12/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Ethanol consumption during pregnancy produces a wide range of morphological and behavioral alterations known as fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD). Among the behavioral deficits associated with FASD is an increased probability of developing anxiety disorders. Studies with animal models of FASD have demonstrated that ethanol exposure during the equivalent to the 1(st) and 2(nd) trimesters of human pregnancy increases anxiety-like behavior. Here, we examined the impact on this type of behavior of exposure to high doses of ethanol in vapor inhalation chambers during the rat equivalent to the human 3rd trimester of pregnancy (i.e., neonatal period in these animals). We evaluated anxiety-like behavior with the elevated plus maze. Using whole-cell patch-clamp electrophysiological techniques in brain slices, we also characterized glutamatergic and GABAergic synaptic transmission in the basolateral amygdala, a brain region that has been implicated to play a role in emotional behavior. We found that ethanol-exposed adolescent offspring preferred the closed arms over the open arms in the elevated plus maze and displayed lower head dipping activity than controls. Electrophysiological measurements showed an increase in the frequency of spontaneous and miniature excitatory postsynaptic currents in pyramidal neurons from the ethanol group. These findings suggest that high-dose ethanol exposure during the equivalent to the last trimester of human pregnancy can persistently increase excitatory synaptic inputs to principal neurons in the basolateral amygdala, leading to an increase in anxiety-like behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian C Baculis
- Department of Neurosciences, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM 87131-0001, USA
| | - Marvin R Diaz
- Department of Neurosciences, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM 87131-0001, USA; Department of Psychology, Behavioral Neuroscience Program, Binghamton University - State University of New York, Binghamton, NY 13902-6000, USA
| | - C Fernando Valenzuela
- Department of Neurosciences, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM 87131-0001, USA.
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Mandal C, Park KS, Jung KH, Chai YG. Ethanol-related alterations in gene expression patterns in the developing murine hippocampus. Acta Biochim Biophys Sin (Shanghai) 2015; 47:581-7. [PMID: 26063602 DOI: 10.1093/abbs/gmv050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2015] [Accepted: 04/21/2015] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
It is well known that consuming alcohol prior to and during pregnancy can cause harm to the developing fetus. Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder is a term commonly used to describe a range of disabilities that may arise from prenatal alcohol exposure such as fetal alcohol syndrome, partial fetal alcohol syndrome, alcohol-related neurodevelopmental disorders, and alcohol-related birth defects. Here, we report that maternal binge alcohol consumption alters several important genes that are involved in nervous system development in the mouse hippocampus at embryonic day 18. Microarray analysis revealed that Nova1, Ntng1, Gal, Neurog2, Neurod2, and Fezf2 gene expressions are altered in the fetal hippocampus. Pathway analysis also revealed the association of the calcium signaling pathway in addition to other pathways with the differentially expressed genes during early brain development. Alteration of such important genes and dynamics of the signaling pathways may cause neurodevelopmental disorders. Our findings offer insight into the molecular mechanism involved in neurodevelopmental disorders associated with alcohol-related defects.
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26
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Diaz MR, Jotty K, Locke JL, Jones SR, Valenzuela CF. Moderate Alcohol Exposure during the Rat Equivalent to the Third Trimester of Human Pregnancy Alters Regulation of GABAA Receptor-Mediated Synaptic Transmission by Dopamine in the Basolateral Amygdala. Front Pediatr 2014; 2:46. [PMID: 24904907 PMCID: PMC4035091 DOI: 10.3389/fped.2014.00046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2014] [Accepted: 05/10/2014] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Fetal ethanol (EtOH) exposure leads to a range of neurobehavioral alterations, including deficits in emotional processing. The basolateral amygdala (BLA) plays a critical role in modulating emotional processing, in part, via dopamine (DA) regulation of GABA transmission. This BLA modulatory system is acquired during the first 2 weeks of postnatal life in rodents (equivalent to the third trimester of human pregnancy) and we hypothesized that it could be altered by EtOH exposure during this period. We found that exposure of rats to moderate levels of EtOH vapor during the third trimester-equivalent [postnatal days (P) 2-12] alters DA modulation of GABAergic transmission in BLA pyramidal neurons during periadolescence. Specifically, D1R-mediated potentiation of spontaneous inhibitory postsynaptic currents (IPSCs) was significantly attenuated in EtOH-exposed animals. However, this was associated with a compensatory decrease in D3R-mediated suppression of miniature IPSCs. Western blot analysis revealed that these effects were not a result of altered D1R or D3R levels. BLA samples from EtOH-exposed animals also had significantly lower levels of the DA precursor (L-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine) but DA levels were not affected. This is likely a consequence of reduced catabolism of DA, as indicated by reduced levels of 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid and homovanillic acid in the BLA samples. Anxiety-like behavior was not altered in EtOH-exposed animals. This is the first study to demonstrate that the modulatory actions of DA in the BLA are altered by developmental EtOH exposure. Although compensatory adaptations were engaged in our moderate EtOH exposure paradigm, it is possible that these are not able to restore homeostasis and correct anxiety-like behaviors under conditions of heavier EtOH exposure. Therefore, future studies should investigate the potential role of alterations in the modulatory actions of DA in the pathophysiology of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marvin Rafael Diaz
- Department of Neurosciences, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center , Albuquerque, NM , USA
| | - Karick Jotty
- Department of Neurosciences, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center , Albuquerque, NM , USA
| | - Jason L Locke
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Wake Forest School of Medicine , Winston-Salem, NC , USA
| | - Sara R Jones
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Wake Forest School of Medicine , Winston-Salem, NC , USA
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