Abnormal Development - Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Mouse Model

Introduction

Links: Fetal Alcohol Syndrome | Mouse Development | Mouse Timeline Detailed

Some Recent Findings

Cardiac birth defects in mice and prevention with folate^[1] "Pregnant mice on embryonic day 6.75 during gastrulation were exposed by an intraperitoneal injection to a binge-drinking dose of ethanol. Folic acid supplementation of mouse diet was tested for the prevention of ethanol-induced cardiac birth defects. RESULTS: Acute ethanol exposure induced myocardial wall changes and atrioventricular and semilunar valve defects, which was determined by echocardiography on embryonic day 15.5. A high folate diet prevented the ethanol-induced cardiac defects. Ethanol exposure in avian embryos suppressed 2 key Wnt-modulated genes that are involved in cardiac induction; folic acid rescued normal gene expression. CONCLUSION: Folic acid supplementation alone or with myoinositol prevented alcohol potentiation of Wnt/beta-catenin signaling that allowed normal gene activation and cardiogenesis." (More? Folic Acid and Neural Tube Defects)
Maternal ethanol consumption alters the epigenotype and the phenotype of offspring in a mouse model.^[2] "Our work raises the possibility of a role for epigenetics in the etiology of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders, and it provides a mouse model that will be a useful resource in the continued efforts to understand the consequences of gestational alcohol exposure at the molecular level."
Magnetic resonance microscopy defines ethanol-induced brain abnormalities in prenatal mice^[3] "This study demonstrates that exposure to ethanol occurring in mice at stages corresponding to the human fourth week postfertilization results in structural brain abnormalities that are readily identifiable at fetal stages of development." (More? Magnetic Resonance Imaging)