Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, including details on pregnancy, birth defects, causes, symptoms, treatment.

Fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) in C57BL/6 mice detected through proteomics screening of the amniotic fluid.

Datta S, Turner D, Singh R, Ruest LB, Pierce WM, Knudsen TB

Department of Bioinformatics and Biostatistics, School of Public Health and Information Science, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky 40292, USA. susmita.datta@louisville.edu

BACKGROUND: Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS), a severe consequence of the Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders, is associated with craniofacial defects, mental retardation, and stunted growth. Previous studies in C57BL/6J and C57BL/6N mice provide evidence that alcohol-induced pathogenesis follows early changes in gene expression within specific molecular pathways in the embryonic headfold. Whereas the former (B6J) pregnancies carry a high-risk for dysmorphogenesis following maternal exposure to 2.9 g/kg alcohol (two injections spaced 4.0 h apart on gestation day 8), the latter (B6N) pregnancies carry a low-risk for malformations. The present study used this murine model to screen amniotic fluid for biomarkers that could potentially discriminate between FAS-positive and FAS-negative pregnancies. METHODS: B6J and B6N litters were treated with alcohol (exposed) or saline (control) on day 8 of gestation. Amniotic fluid aspirated on day 17 (n = 6 replicate litters per group) was subjected to trypsin digestion for analysis by matrix-assisted laser desorption-time of flight mass spectrometry with the aid of denoising algorithms, statistical testing, and classification methods. RESULTS: We identified several peaks in the proteomics screen that were reduced consistently and specifically in exposed B6J litters. Preliminary characterization by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry and multidimensional protein identification mapped the reduced peaks to alpha fetoprotein (AFP). The predictive strength of AFP deficiency as a biomarker for FAS-positive litters was confirmed by area under the receiver operating characteristic curve. CONCLUSIONS:: These findings in genetically susceptible mice support clinical observations in maternal serum that implicate a decrease in AFP levels following prenatal alcohol damage.

Published 28 April 2008 in Birth Defects Res A Clin Mol Teratol, 82(4): 177-86.
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Articles on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome published 25 April 2008:

Maternal risk factors for fetal alcohol syndrome and partial fetal alcohol syndrome in South Africa: a third study.   Alcohol Clin Exp Res, 32(5): 738-53.

OBJECTIVES: This is a third exploration of risk factors for the two most severe forms of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD), fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) and Partial FAS (PFAS), in a South African community with the highest reported prevalence of FAS in the world. METHODS: In a case control design, interview and collateral data concerning mothers of 72 first grade children with FAS or PFAS are compared with 134 randomly selected maternal controls of children from the same schools. RESULTS: ... [Abstract] [Full-text]

Is pregnancy the time to change alcohol consumption habits in France?   Alcohol Clin Exp Res, 32(5): 868-73.

BACKGROUND: Although it is well known that France has a cultural history of alcohol use, no recent French data on alcohol consumption during pregnancy in a large sample are available. METHODS: To determine the alcohol consumption patterns among pregnant women in France, we analyzed data from a 1-year multicenter self-survey. Sociodemographic profile, obstetrical history, neonatal data, and a self-report for assessing drinking patterns during pregnancy including AUDIT were recorded from women ... [Abstract] [Full-text]

Articles on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome published 21 April 2008:

Cerebellar network plasticity: From genes to fast oscillation.   Neuroscience, 153(1): 1-19.

The role of the cerebellum has been increasingly recognized not only in motor control but in sensory, cognitive and emotional learning and regulation. Purkinje cells, being the sole output from the cerebellar cortex, occupy an integrative position in this network. Plasticity at this level is known to critically involve calcium signaling. In the last few years, electrophysiological study of genetically engineered mice has demonstrated the topical role of several genes encoding calcium-binding ... [Abstract] [Full-text]

Articles on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome published 27 March 2008:

Determination of fatty acid ethyl esters (FAEE) and ethyl glucuronide (EtG) in hair: a promising way for retrospective detection of alcohol abuse during pregnancy?   Ther Drug Monit, 30(2): 255-63.

The retrospective detection of alcohol consumption during pregnancy is an important part of the diagnosis of the fetal alcohol syndrome. A promising way to solve this problem can be the determination of fatty acid ethyl esters (FAEE) or/and ethyl glucuronide (EtG) in hair of the mothers. In this article, the present state in analytical determination and interpretation of FAEE and EtG concentrations in hair are reviewed. Both FAEE and EtG are minor metabolites of ethanol and as direct alcohol ... [Abstract] [Full-text]

Articles on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome published 12 March 2008:

Aniracetam reversed learning and memory deficits following prenatal ethanol exposure by modulating functions of synaptic AMPA receptors.   Neuropsychopharmacology, 33(5): 1071-83.

Specific pharmacological treatments are currently not available to address problems resulting from fetal ethanol exposure, described as Fetal Alcohol Syndrome or Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD). The present study evaluated the therapeutic effects of aniracetam against cognitive deficits in a well-characterized and sensitive FASD Sprague-Dawley rat model. Ethanol, administered orally at a moderate dose (4 g/kg/24 h; 38% v/v) during the entire course of pregnancy, caused severe cognitive ... [Abstract] [Full-text]

Articles on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome published 27 February 2008:

Exploring pregnancy-related changes in alcohol consumption between Black and White women.   Alcohol Clin Exp Res, 32(3): 505-12.

BACKGROUND: Although epidemiological data indicate that White women are more likely to drink and binge drink before pregnancy, fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) is more common in the Black population than among Whites in the United States. Differences in drinking cessation between Black and White women who become pregnant may help explain the disparity in FAS rates. METHODS: The study sample was comprised of 280,126 non-Hispanic Black and White women, ages 18 to 44, from the Behavioral Risk Factor ... [Abstract] [Full-text]

Articles on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome published 21 February 2008:

Ethanol consumption during early pregnancy alters the disposition of tangentially migrating GABAergic interneurons in the fetal cortex.   J Neurosci, 28(8): 1854-64.

Consumption of alcohol (ethanol) during pregnancy can lead to developmental defects in the offspring, the most devastating being the constellation of symptoms collectively referred to as fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS). In the brain, a hallmark of FAS is abnormal cerebral cortical morphology consistent with insult during corticogenesis. Here, we report that exposure to a relatively low level of ethanol in utero (average maternal and fetal blood alcohol level of 25 mg/dl) promotes premature ... [Abstract] [Full-text]

Articles on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome published 7 February 2008:

Mapping white matter integrity and neurobehavioral correlates in children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders.   J Neurosci, 28(6): 1313-9.

Brain structural abnormalities and neurocognitive dysfunction have been observed in individuals with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs). Little is known about how white matter integrity is related to these functional and morphological deficits. We used a combination of diffusion tensor and T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging to evaluate white matter integrity in individuals with FASDs and related these findings to neurocognitive deficits. Seventeen children and adolescents with FASDs ... [Abstract] [Full-text]

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