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)
Druse
M J
MJ
Department of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, Loyola University of Chicago, Stritch School of Medicine, Maywood, Illinois.
Kuo
A
A
Tajuddin
N
N
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