Nogales Fátima, Jotty Karick, Pascual-Vaca Diego, Gallego-López María Del Carmen, Carreras Olimpia, Ojeda María Luisa
Department of Physiology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Seville University, Seville, Spain.
Physiology and Neuroscience Research Group, Natural and Exact Science Faculty, University of Cartagena, Cartagena, Colombia.
Alcohol Clin Exp Res (Hoboken). 2025 Aug 4. doi: 10.1111/acer.70127.
Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) refers to the neurodevelopmental condition of lifelong cognitive, emotional, and behavioral challenges that can occur in individuals exposed to alcohol before birth. FASD is a preventable, chronic condition with no direct diagnosis and no treatment, and is considered the leading cause of developmental cognitive impairment in Western countries. The best-known effects of prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) are those that affect the brain. Among these structures, the cerebellum, a key coordinative tissue, is particularly sensitive to PAE, leading to motor and cognitive disorders. Since 1994, the use of different rat models of FASD has greatly influenced the understanding of the effects of perinatal alcohol exposure on cerebellum development.
We conducted a scoping review of research from the past 30 years to answer an important question for the scientific community: "Which rat model of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) offers the most relevant insights for selecting an appropriate experimental design, specifically for investigating alcohol-induced effects on the cerebellum?"
Considering the unique developmental characteristics of the cerebellum, five developmental time windows have been identified in rats for studying its state after ethanol exposure. In each window, the route and dose of ethanol administration result in different blood alcohol concentration (BAC) levels, each with distinct advantages and disadvantages. This information is presented in three tables, which also indicate the type of study conducted: morphological, biochemical, electrophysiological, or behavioral.
The third-trimester equivalent period is the most susceptible to alcohol-induced cerebellar damage and is thus the most widely studied by researchers. More research is needed on the effects of alcohol during lactation.
胎儿酒精谱系障碍（FASD）是指个体在出生前接触酒精后可能出现的终身认知、情感和行为挑战的神经发育状况。FASD是一种可预防的慢性疾病，没有直接的诊断方法和治疗手段，被认为是西方国家发育性认知障碍的主要原因。产前酒精暴露（PAE）最广为人知的影响是对大脑的影响。在这些结构中，小脑作为关键的协调组织，对PAE特别敏感，会导致运动和认知障碍。自1994年以来，不同的FASD大鼠模型的使用极大地影响了人们对围产期酒精暴露对小脑发育影响的理解。
我们对过去30年的研究进行了范围综述，以回答科学界一个重要问题：“哪种胎儿酒精谱系障碍（FASD）大鼠模型为选择合适的实验设计提供了最相关的见解，特别是用于研究酒精对小脑的诱导作用？”
考虑到小脑独特的发育特征，已在大鼠中确定了五个发育时间窗，用于研究乙醇暴露后的小脑状态。在每个时间窗中，乙醇给药的途径和剂量会导致不同的血酒精浓度（BAC）水平，每种水平都有其独特的优缺点。这些信息列在三个表格中，表格还表明了所进行研究的类型：形态学、生物化学、电生理学或行为学研究。
妊娠晚期等效期最易受到酒精诱导的小脑损伤，因此是研究人员研究最多的时期。关于哺乳期酒精影响的研究还需要进一步开展。
