title: Effects of prenatal ethanol exposure on rat brain radial glia and neuroblast migration.
abstract: Prenatal ethanol exposure (PEE) induces morphologic and functional alterations in the developing central nervous system. The orderly migration of neuroblasts is a key process in the development of a layered structure such as the cerebral cortex (CC). From initial stages of corticogenesis, the transcription factor Pax6 is intensely expressed in neuroepithelial and radial glia cells (RGCs) and is involved in continual regulation of cell surface properties responsible for both cellular identity and radial migration. In the present work, one month before mating, during pregnancy and lactation, a group of female Wistar rats were fed a liquid diet with 5.9% (w/w) ethanol (EtOH), rendering moderate blood EtOH concentrations. Maternal gestational weight progression and fetal CC thickness were measured. CC from E12-P3 rats were examined for expression of vimentin, nestin, S-100b, Pax6 and doublecortin using immunohistochemical assays. RGCs expressing vimentin, nestin, S-100b and Pax6 had abnormal morphologies. The migration distance through the CC and the number of doublecortin-ir neuroblasts in germinative zones were decreased. We found significant morphologic defects on RGCs, a marked delay in neuronal migration, decreased numbers of neuroblasts, and decreased numbers of Pax6-ir cells in the CC as a consequence of exposure to ethanol during development. These observations suggest a sequence of toxic events that contribute to cortical dysplasia in offspring exposed to EtOH during gestation.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Biología Celular y Neurociencias Prof. Eduardo De Robertis, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Paraguay 2155 3rd fl., (C1121ABG) Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: María Paula
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Aronne
authors.forename: Tamara
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Guadagnoli
authors.forename: Paula
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Fontanet
authors.forename: Sergio Gustavo
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Evrard
authors.forename: Alicia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Brusco
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000187:drug effects*; D000089622:Doublecortin Domain Proteins; D000089662:Doublecortin Protein; D000431:Ethanol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005136:Eye Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007381:Intermediate Filament Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D064231:Nestin; D009457:Neuroglia / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D009479:Neuropeptides / Q000378:metabolism; D000071841:PAX6 Transcription Factor; D051761:Paired Box Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012097:Repressor Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D014746:Vimentin / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: C000714848:Dcx protein, rat; D000089622:Doublecortin Domain Proteins; D000089662:Doublecortin Protein; D005136:Eye Proteins; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; D007381:Intermediate Filament Proteins; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; C577486:Nes protein, rat; D064231:Nestin; D009479:Neuropeptides; D000071841:PAX6 Transcription Factor; D051761:Paired Box Transcription Factors; C000605733:Pax6 protein, rat; D012097:Repressor Proteins; D014746:Vimentin; D000431:Ethanol