Prenatal ethanol exposure decreases hippocampal /sup 3/H-vinylidene kainic acid binding in 45-day-old rats

Journal Article · Tue Nov 01 04:00:00 EST 1988 · Neurotoxicol. Teratol.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/0892-0362(88)90093-1· OSTI ID:6065960

Farr, K L; Montano, C Y; Paxton, L L; Savage, D D

The effect of prenatal ethanol exposure on the kainate-sensitive subtype of glutamate receptor binding sites was studied using in vitro /sup 3/H-vinylidene kainic acid (VKA) autoradiography. Pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats were fed a liquid diet containing either 3.35% or 6.7% ethanol throughout gestation. Pair-fed dams received isocalorically matched liquid diets and a lab chow ad lib group served as control for paired feeding. At 45 days of age, the offspring were sacrificed and their brains analyzed for specific /sup 3/H-VKA binding. Compared to pair-fed controls, specific /sup 3/H-VKA binding was reduced by 13% to 32% in dorsal and ventral hippocampal CA3 stratum lucidum, entorhinal cortex and cerebellum of 45-day-old rats whose mothers consumed either 3.35% or 6.7% ethanol diets. The binding site reductions were statistically significant only in the ventral hippocampal formation and entorhinal cortex of the 3.35% ethanol diet group rats. Saturation of binding studies in the ventral hippocampal formation of 3.35% ethanol rats indicated that the decrease in specific /sup 3/H-VKA binding was due to a decrease in the total number of binding sites. Given the excitatory effect of kainic acid on the spontaneous firing rate of hippocampal CA3 pyramidal neurons, the reduction of kainate-sensitive glutamate binding in this region is consistent with the electrophysiological observation of decreased spontaneous activity of CA3 pyramidal neurons in fetal alcohol rats.

• Research Organization: Univ. of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque (USA)
• OSTI ID: 6065960
• Journal Information: Neurotoxicol. Teratol.; (United States), Journal Name: Neurotoxicol. Teratol.; (United States) Vol. 10:6; ISSN NETEE
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
ALCOHOLS
AMINO ACIDS
ANIMALS
AUTORADIOGRAPHY
BIOCHEMICAL REACTION KINETICS
BODY
BRAIN
CARBOXYLIC ACIDS
CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM
DIET
ETHANOL
GLUTAMIC ACID
HIPPOCAMPUS
HYDROXY COMPOUNDS
KINETICS
LABELLED COMPOUNDS
MAMMALS
MEMBRANE PROTEINS
NERVOUS SYSTEM
ORGANIC ACIDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANS
PREGNANCY
PRENATAL EXPOSURE
PROTEINS
RATS
REACTION KINETICS
RECEPTORS
RODENTS
TOXICITY
TRITIUM COMPOUNDS
VERTEBRATES