Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22904, USA.
Department of Biology, Hampden-Sydney College, Hampden-Sydney, VA 23943, USA.
Int J Mol Sci. 2021 Dec 28;23(1):290. doi: 10.3390/ijms23010290.
Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders are caused by the disruption of normal brain development in utero. The severity and range of symptoms is dictated by both the dosage and timing of ethanol administration, and the resulting developmental processes that are impacted. In order to investigate the effects of an acute, high-dose intoxication event on the development of medium spiny neurons (MSNs) in the striatum, mice were injected with ethanol on P6, and neuronal morphology was assessed after 24 h, or at 1 month or 5 months of age. Data indicate an immediate increase in MSN dendritic length and branching, a rapid decrease in spine number, and increased levels of the synaptic protein PSD-95 as a consequence of this neonatal exposure to ethanol, but these differences do not persist into adulthood. These results demonstrate a rapid neuronal response to ethanol exposure and characterize the dynamic nature of neuronal architecture in the MSNs. Although differences in neuronal branching and spine density induced by ethanol resolve with time, early changes in the caudate/putamen region have a potential impact on the execution of complex motor skills, as well as aspects of long-term learning and addictive behavior.
胎儿酒精谱系障碍是由宫内正常大脑发育过程中断引起的。症状的严重程度和范围取决于乙醇的剂量和给予时间，以及受影响的发育过程。为了研究急性、高剂量中毒事件对纹状体中型多棘神经元（MSNs）发育的影响，在 P6 时给小鼠注射乙醇，然后在 24 小时、1 个月或 5 个月时评估神经元形态。数据表明，由于这种新生期接触乙醇，MSN 的树突长度和分支立即增加，棘突数量迅速减少，突触蛋白 PSD-95 的水平增加，但这些差异在成年后不会持续存在。这些结果表明神经元对乙醇暴露有快速反应，并描述了 MSNs 中神经元结构的动态性质。尽管乙醇诱导的神经元分支和棘突密度的差异随着时间的推移而解决，但纹状体区域的早期变化可能对复杂运动技能的执行以及长期学习和成瘾行为的某些方面产生影响。
