{"title":"Prenatal ethanol exposure impairs hippocampal plasticity and cognition in adolescent mice","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.pnpbp.2024.111174","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) induces a wide range of neurodevelopmental disabilities that are grouped under the term ‘fetal alcohol spectrum disorders’ (FASD). The effects of PAE on brain development are dependent on complex neurochemical events, including modification of AMPA receptors (AMPARs). We have recently found that chronic ethanol (EtOH) exposure decreases AMPA-mediated neurotransmission and expression through the overexpression of the specific microRNA (miR)137 and 501-3p, which target GluA1 AMPA subunit, in the developing hippocampus in vitro. Here, we explored how PAE mice may alter AMPAergic synapses in the hippocampus, and its effects on behavior.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>To model PAE, we exposed C57Bl/6 pregnant mice to 10 % EtOH during during the first 10 days of gestation (GD 0–10; equivalent to the first trimester of pregnancy in humans). AMPA subunits postsynaptic expression in the hippocampus, electrical properties of CA1 neurons, memory recognition, and locomotor functions were then analyzed in adolescent PAE-exposed offspring.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>PAE adolescent mice showed dysregulation of AMPAergic neurotransmission, and increased miR 501-3p expression, associated with a significant reduction of spontaneous AMPA currents and intrinsic somatic excitability. In addition, PAE reduced the phosphorylation of AMPAR-containing GluA1 subunit, despite an increase in its total levels. Of note, the total levels of GluA2 and GluA3 AMPA receptors were enhanced as well. Consistently, at behavioral level, PAE reduced object recognition without altering locomotor activity.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>Our study shows that PAE leads to dysfunctional formation of AMPAergic synapses that could be responsible for neurobehavioral impairments, contributing to the understanding of the pathogenesis of FASD.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54549,"journal":{"name":"Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology & Biological Psychiatry","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":5.3000,"publicationDate":"2024-10-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology & Biological Psychiatry","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0278584624002422","RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"CLINICAL NEUROLOGY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Background
Prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) induces a wide range of neurodevelopmental disabilities that are grouped under the term ‘fetal alcohol spectrum disorders’ (FASD). The effects of PAE on brain development are dependent on complex neurochemical events, including modification of AMPA receptors (AMPARs). We have recently found that chronic ethanol (EtOH) exposure decreases AMPA-mediated neurotransmission and expression through the overexpression of the specific microRNA (miR)137 and 501-3p, which target GluA1 AMPA subunit, in the developing hippocampus in vitro. Here, we explored how PAE mice may alter AMPAergic synapses in the hippocampus, and its effects on behavior.
Methods
To model PAE, we exposed C57Bl/6 pregnant mice to 10 % EtOH during during the first 10 days of gestation (GD 0–10; equivalent to the first trimester of pregnancy in humans). AMPA subunits postsynaptic expression in the hippocampus, electrical properties of CA1 neurons, memory recognition, and locomotor functions were then analyzed in adolescent PAE-exposed offspring.
Results
PAE adolescent mice showed dysregulation of AMPAergic neurotransmission, and increased miR 501-3p expression, associated with a significant reduction of spontaneous AMPA currents and intrinsic somatic excitability. In addition, PAE reduced the phosphorylation of AMPAR-containing GluA1 subunit, despite an increase in its total levels. Of note, the total levels of GluA2 and GluA3 AMPA receptors were enhanced as well. Consistently, at behavioral level, PAE reduced object recognition without altering locomotor activity.
Conclusions
Our study shows that PAE leads to dysfunctional formation of AMPAergic synapses that could be responsible for neurobehavioral impairments, contributing to the understanding of the pathogenesis of FASD.
期刊介绍:
Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology & Biological Psychiatry is an international and multidisciplinary journal which aims to ensure the rapid publication of authoritative reviews and research papers dealing with experimental and clinical aspects of neuro-psychopharmacology and biological psychiatry. Issues of the journal are regularly devoted wholly in or in part to a topical subject.
Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology & Biological Psychiatry does not publish work on the actions of biological extracts unless the pharmacological active molecular substrate and/or specific receptor binding properties of the extract compounds are elucidated.