title: Ethanol reduces neural precursor cells and inhibits neuronal and glial differentiation in zebrafish embryos.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the influence of exposure to different concentrations of ethanol on neural progenitor cells and the differentiation of neurons and glial cells in zebrafish embryos.
  
  
  METHODS
  Zebrafish embryos were exposed to 1%, 2%, and 2.5% (V/V) ethanol at 5 hpf by adding ethanol to the egg water. In situ hybridization and real-time PCR were used to detect the changes in the mRNA expression profiles of the markers of different cells to examine the effects of alcohol on neural development.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The number of neural precursor cells, neurons and mature glial cells was significantly reduced in the zebrafish embryos following ethanol exposure, and this reduction became more prominent as the ethanol concentration increased. The expression of the early glial marker slc1a3a was down-regulated in the spinal cord but increased in the brain after exposure to increased ethanol concentrations. The expression of the mature glial markers was significantly lowered in response to exposure to increasing ethanol concentrations.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Ethanol can reduce neural precursor cells and inhibits neuronal and glial differentiation in zebrafish embryos.
authors.affiliation: Research Center of Clinical Medicine, Nanfang Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510180, China. E-mail: 969490486@qq.com.
authors.forename: Guo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Yin
authors.forename: Fang
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Yao
authors.forename: Xiaohui
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Nan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Huili
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Hong-En
authors.initials: HE
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Zhaohu
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Yuan
authors.forename: Bingyi
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects*; D004625:Embryo, Nonmammalian / Q000187:drug effects; D000431:Ethanol / Q000009:adverse effects*; D058953:Neural Stem Cells / Q000187:drug effects*; D055495:Neurogenesis / Q000187:drug effects; D009457:Neuroglia / Q000187:drug effects*; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects*; D013116:Spinal Cord; D015027:Zebrafish / Q000196:embryology
chemical_list: D000431:Ethanol