Ethanol modulates the expression of GABA(B) receptor mRNAs in the prenatal rat brain in an age and area dependent manner.
Prenatal ethanol exposure has various deleterious effects on neuronal development. As GABA(B) receptor is known to play an important role during the development of the CNS, we now focused on its mRNA expression pattern in the rat brain during the late gestational days (GD) from 15.5 to GD 21.5. Ethanol's effect was also observed from GD 11.5 to GD 21.5. GABA(B1) receptor mRNA showed a high expression level in GD 15.5 and 19.5, while GABA(B2) receptor mRNA did in GD 15.5 and 21.5. The mRNAs levels depended on age and area during development. Ethanol exposure decreased GABA(B1) receptor from GD 11.5 to GD 19.5 with slight increases in GD 21.5. The decreasing effects were area dependent, with the highest effects in the forebrain including cortex, whereas slight effects were observed in the midbrain and hindbrain. The present results suggest an important role of GABA(B) receptor in the effects of ethanol on prenatal brain developmental processes.
Li
S P
SP
Division of Life Science, College of Natural Sciences and Applied Life Science (Brain Korea 21), Gyeongsang National University, Gyeongnam, Chinju, 660-701, South Korea.
Kim
J H
JH
Park
M S
MS
Bahk
J Y
JY
Chung
B C
BC
Kim
M O
MO
D000367:Age Factors; D000818:Animals; D015152:Blotting, Northern / Q000379:methods; D001921:Brain / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian; D000431:Ethanol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental / Q000187:drug effects*; D017403:In Situ Hybridization / Q000379:methods; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D011963:Receptors, GABA-A / Q000235:genetics*
D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D011963:Receptors, GABA-A; D000431:Ethanol