title: Differential expression of c-fos in a mouse model of fetal alcohol syndrome.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) results in stillbirth, fetal growth restriction, and mental retardation with injury attributed to oxidative stress. Our objective was to identify signal transduction pathways expressed in a model of FAS and to quantify expression of c-fos, a gene in the stress signal pathway.
  
  
  METHODS
  Timed, pregnant C57Bl6/J mice were injected on E8 with saline solution or alcohol. RNA was extracted from decidua and embryo 6 and 24 hours later. Microarray analysis was used to screen gene pathways. Differential gene expression was confirmed using real-time polymerase chain reaction with results presented as the ratio of c-fos concentration to that of glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Differential gene expression between alcohol and control was noted for stress signal pathway genes including c-fos. Real-time polymerase chain reaction demonstrated that c-fos messenger RNA expression was greater in the alcohol than control decidua at 6 hours after injection (P<.01). This effect persisted at 24 hours (P<.01). There was no difference in c-fos expression in embryos whose mothers received alcohol versus control after 6 hours (P=.12) or 24 hours (P=.89).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Alcohol administration during pregnancy results in differential gene expression in the stress signal pathway, particularly in c-fos. C-fos expression in the decidua increases from 6 to 24 hours after alcohol injection, but does not change in the embryo, which may contribute to alcohol-induced damage in FAS.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Georgetown University Hospital, Washington, DC, USA. shp2@gunet.georgetown.edu
authors.forename: Sarah H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Poggi
authors.forename: Katie M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Goodwin
authors.forename: Joanna M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Hill
authors.forename: Douglas E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Brenneman
authors.forename: Elisabetta
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tendi
authors.forename: Sergio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Schninelli
authors.forename: Catherine Y
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Spong
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003656:Decidua / Q000737:chemistry; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian / Q000737:chemistry; D000431:Ethanol / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D063647:Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders / Q000235:genetics*; D015870:Gene Expression; D016762:Genes, fos; D005865:Gestational Age; D005987:Glyceraldehyde-3-Phosphate Dehydrogenases / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011247:Pregnancy; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015398:Signal Transduction
chemical_list: D012333:RNA, Messenger; D000431:Ethanol; D005987:Glyceraldehyde-3-Phosphate Dehydrogenases