title: Effect of chronic prenatal ethanol exposure on nitric oxide synthase I and III proteins in the hippocampus of the near-term fetal guinea pig.
abstract: Chronic prenatal ethanol exposure suppresses nitric oxide synthase (NOS) enzymatic activity, in the hippocampus of the near-term fetal guinea pig at gestational day (GD) 62. The objective of this study was to determine if this decrease in NOS activity is the result of decreased NOS I and NOS III protein expression. Pregnant guinea pigs received oral administration of 4 g ethanol/kg maternal body weight/day (n = 8), isocaloric-sucrose/pair feeding (n = 8), or water (n = 8) from GD 2 to GD 61. The NOS I and NOS III protein expression and localization in the hippocampus were determined using Western blot analysis and immunohistochemistry, respectively. The chronic ethanol regimen produced fetal body, brain, and hippocampal growth restriction compared with the isocaloric-sucrose/pair fed and water groups but did not affect the expression or localization of NOS I and NOS III proteins in the hippocampus. The decrease in NOS enzymatic activity induced by chronic prenatal ethanol exposure may be the result of posttranslational modification of NOS I and/or NOS III protein in the hippocampus of the near-term fetal guinea pig.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: K A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Kimura
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chiu
authors.forename: J N
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Reynolds
authors.forename: J F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Brien
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects / Q000196:embryology; D005314:Embryonic and Fetal Development; D000431:Ethanol / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000097:blood / Q000633:toxicity*; D005260:Female; D005333:Fetus / Q000187:drug effects; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental / Q000187:drug effects*; D015971:Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic / Q000187:drug effects; D005865:Gestational Age; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000196:embryology* / Q000201:enzymology*; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D052248:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type I; D052250:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; D011499:Protein Processing, Post-Translational; D013395:Sucrose / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D000431:Ethanol; D013395:Sucrose; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase; D052248:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type I; D052250:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III