Maternal ethanol administration inhibits 5-hydroxytryptamine synthesis and tryptophan hydroxylase expression in the dorsal raphe of rat offspring.
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.
Kim
Eun-Kyung
EK
College of Medicine, Kohwang Medical Research Institute, Kyung Hee University, #1 Hoigi-dong, Dongdaemoon-gu, Seoul 130-701, South Korea.
Lee
Myoung-Hwa
MH
Kim
Hong
H
Sim
Young-Je
YJ
Shin
Mal-Soon
MS
Lee
Sam-Jun
SJ
Yang
Hye-Young
HY
Chang
Hyun-Kyung
HK
Lee
Taeck-Hyun
TH
Jang
Mi-Hyeon
MH
Shin
Min-Chul
MC
Lee
Hee-Hyuk
HH
Kim
Chang-Ju
CJ
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*
D012701:Serotonin; D000431:Ethanol; D014365:Tryptophan Hydroxylase