title: Effects of ethanol exposure during early pregnancy in hyperactive, inattentive and impulsive behaviors and MeCP2 expression in rodent offspring.
abstract: Prenatal exposure to alcohol has consistently been associated with adverse effects on neurodevelopment, which is collectively called fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD). Increasing evidence suggest that prenatal exposure to alcohol increases the risk of developing attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder-like behavior in human. In this study, we investigated the behavioral effects of prenatal exposure to EtOH in offspring mice and rats focusing on hyperactivity and impulsivity. We also examined changes in dopamine transporter and MeCP2 expression, which may underlie as a key neurobiological and epigenetic determinant in FASD and hyperactive, inattentive and impulsive behaviors. Mouse or rat offspring born from dam exposed to alcohol during pregnancy (EtOH group) showed hyper locomotive activity, attention deficit and impulsivity. EtOH group also showed increased dopamine transporter and norepinephrine transporter level compared to control group in the prefrontal cortex and striatum. Prenatal exposure to EtOH also significantly decreased the expression of MeCP2 in both prefrontal cortex and striatum. These results suggest that prenatal exposure to EtOH induces hyperactive, inattentive and impulsive behaviors in rodent offspring that might be related to global epigenetic changes as well as aberration in catecholamine neurotransmitter transporter system.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine and Neuroscience Research Center, Institute SMART-IABS, Konkuk University, Seoul, 143-701, Korea.
authors.forename: Pitna
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Jin Hee
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Chang Soon
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Inah
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: So Hyun
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Joo
authors.forename: Min Kyoung
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Soo Young
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Ki Chan
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Seung Hwa
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Kyoung Ja
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Kwon
authors.forename: Jongmin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Seol-Heui
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Jong Hoon
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Ryu
authors.forename: Jae Hoon
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Cheong
authors.forename: Jung Yeol
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Ki Narm
authors.initials: KN
authors.lastname: Ko
authors.forename: Chan Young
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Shin
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000139:chemically induced; D000076123:DNA (Cytosine-5-)-Methyltransferase 1; D004248:DNA (Cytosine-5-)-Methyltransferases / Q000378:metabolism; D050483:Dopamine Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D044127:Epigenesis, Genetic / Q000187:drug effects; D000431:Ethanol / Q000633:toxicity*; D005260:Female; D063647:Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders / Q000523:psychology; D007175:Impulsive Behavior / Q000139:chemically induced; D051783:Methyl-CpG-Binding Protein 2 / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D050484:Norepinephrine Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; D051381:Rats
chemical_list: D050483:Dopamine Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins; C497393:Mecp2 protein, mouse; D051783:Methyl-CpG-Binding Protein 2; D050484:Norepinephrine Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins; C493228:Slc6a2 protein, mouse; D000431:Ethanol; D000076123:DNA (Cytosine-5-)-Methyltransferase 1; D004248:DNA (Cytosine-5-)-Methyltransferases