Effects of in utero ethanol exposure on the developing serotonergic system.
Previous work in this laboratory demonstrated that the 19- and 35-day-old offspring of ethanol-fed rats have a significant deficiency of cortical serotonin (5-HT) and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA), as well as a decrease in the number of total 5-HT1 receptors in the motor and somatosensory cortex. The present studies extend our previous reports by demonstrating that there is also a deficit of 5-HT and 5-HIAA in the motor cortex but not in the somatosensory cortex. In addition, we have shown that a deficit of 5-HT1A receptors in the motor and somatosensory cortices contributes to the deficit of total 5-HT1 receptors. In contrast, we did not observe any changes in the binding to 5-HT1B receptors in these cortical regions from the 19-day-old offspring of ethanol-fed rats. The present studies also examined the effects of in utero ethanol exposure on the early development of the serotonergic system. The results of these studies demonstrated a deficit of 5-HT and/or 5-HIAA in the brain stem as early as the 15th day of gestation (G15) and in the cortex as early as G19. In addition, we demonstrated a delay in both the normal developmental decline of 5-HT1A receptors in the brain stem and in the acquisition of cortical 5-HT1A receptors. No changes were found in the binding of [125I]cyanopindolol to 5-HT1B receptors in either region of fetal or neonatal rats exposed to ethanol in utero.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Department of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, Loyola University of Chicago, Stritch School of Medicine, Maywood, Illinois.
M J
MJ
Druse
A
A
Kuo
N
N
Tajuddin
D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D001933:Brain Stem / Q000187:drug effects; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000187:drug effects; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D000431:Ethanol / Q000633:toxicity*; D005260:Female; D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes; D008297:Male; D010869:Pindolol / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000378:metabolism; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; D011869:Radioligand Assay; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D011985:Receptors, Serotonin / Q000187:drug effects*; D012702:Serotonin Antagonists
D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes; D011985:Receptors, Serotonin; D012702:Serotonin Antagonists; D000431:Ethanol; C047975:cyanopindolol; D010869:Pindolol