title: Effects of postnatal alcohol exposure on hippocampal gene expression and learning in adult mice.
abstract: Fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) is a condition resulting from excessive drinking by pregnant women. Symptoms of FAS include abnormal facial features, stunted growth, intellectual deficits and attentional dysfunction. Many studies have investigated FAS, but its underlying mechanisms remain unknown. This study evaluated the relationship between alcohol exposure during the synaptogenesis period in postnatal mice and subsequent cognitive function in adult mice. We delivered two injections, separated by 2 h, of ethanol (3 g/kg, ethanol/saline, 20% v/v) to ICR mice on postnatal day 7. After 10 weeks, we conducted a behavioral test, sacrificed the animals, harvested brain tissue and analyzed hippocampal gene expression using a microarray. In ethanol-treated mice, there was a reduction in brain size and decreased neuronal cell number in the cortex, and also cognitive impairment. cDNA microarray results indicated that 1,548 genes showed a > 2-fold decrease in expression relative to control, whereas 974 genes showed a > 2-fold increase in expression relative to control. Many of these genes were related to signal transduction, synaptogenesis and cell membrane formation, which are highlighted in our findings.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy & Convergence Medical Science, Institute of Health Sciences, School of Medicine,Gyeongsang National University.
authors.forename: Dong Hoon
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Jihye
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Moon
authors.forename: Jinhyun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ryu
authors.forename: Joo Yeon
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Jeong
authors.forename: Gu Seob
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Roh
authors.forename: Hyun Joon
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Gyeong Jae
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: Wan Sung
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Sang Soo
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Kang
mesh_terms: D000438:Alcohols / Q000633:toxicity; D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D063647:Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007858:Learning / Q000187:drug effects; D051379:Mice; D046228:Microarray Analysis; D011247:Pregnancy; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000438:Alcohols