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

Journal Article · Tue Nov 01 00:00:00 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), Vol. 10:6
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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