title: Maternal ethanol administration inhibits 5-hydroxytryptamine synthesis and tryptophan hydroxylase expression in the dorsal raphe of rat offspring.
abstract: Maternal ethanol consumption during pregnancy has a detrimental effect on the central nervous system (CNS) development of fetus. 5-Hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) is an important neurotransmitter and/or neuromodulator in the mammalian CNS. Tryptophan hydroxylase (TPH) is the rate limiting enzyme of 5-HT synthesis. Ethanol is known to induce neuropsychiatric disorders by alteration of the central serotonergic system. In the present study, the effects of maternal ethanol intake on the 5-HT synthesis and the TPH expression in the dorsal raphe of rat offspring were investigated. The present results show that the synthesis of 5-HT and the expression of TPH in the dorsal raphe of rat offspring were suppressed by maternal ethanol intake and that the suppressive effect of alcohol was more potent in the 5 weeks old rat pups compared to the 3 weeks old rat pups. Based on the present study, it can be suggested that the pathogenesis of ethanol-induced neuropsychological disorders involves ethanol-induced suppression on the 5-HT synthesis and the TPH expression in the dorsal raphe of offspring.
authors.affiliation: College of Medicine, Kohwang Medical Research Institute, Kyung Hee University, #1 Hoigi-dong, Dongdaemoon-gu, Seoul 130-701, South Korea.
authors.forename: Eun-Kyung
authors.initials: EK
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Myoung-Hwa
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Young-Je
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Sim
authors.forename: Mal-Soon
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.forename: Sam-Jun
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Hye-Young
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Hyun-Kyung
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Taeck-Hyun
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Mi-Hyeon
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Jang
authors.forename: Min-Chul
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.forename: Hee-Hyuk
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Chang-Ju
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000431:Ethanol / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy; D011270:Pregnancy, Animal; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; D011897:Random Allocation; D011903:Raphe Nuclei / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012701:Serotonin / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D014365:Tryptophan Hydroxylase / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D012701:Serotonin; D000431:Ethanol; D014365:Tryptophan Hydroxylase