Postnatal or in utero ethanol exposure reduction of the volume of the sexually dimorphic nucleus of the preoptic area in male rats.
Adult male rats exposed to alcohol in utero results in reduction of the volume of the sexually dimorphic nucleus of the preoptic area (SND-POA). Reduction of the volume of this nucleus is also significantly reduced in rats exposed to ethanol postnatally compared to the volume in animals not exposed to ethanol (P less than 0.05). The results indicate that ethanol exposure during the postnatal period of brain development in rats is equally effective as in utero ethanol exposure in development of the SDN-POA volume. This report substantiates others demonstrating the deleterious effects of ethanol consumption during the 'critical' period of brain development.
D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D000431:Ethanol / Q000633:toxicity*; D005260:Female; D007027:Hypothalamic Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced; D008431:Maternal-Fetal Exchange; D011247:Pregnancy; D011301:Preoptic Area / Q000196:embryology / Q000254:growth & development; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D012727:Sex Characteristics
D000431:Ethanol