Abstract
Ethanol exposure during fetal development can result in behavioral and neurological deficits, including reduced cognitive functions, retarded growth, and craniofacial abnormalities. Adenosine is an endogenous neuromodulator that fine-tunes the release and/or synaptic activities of several neurotransmitters, including glutamate, dopamine, and serotonin. Our aim was to determine whether ethanol exposure during early development affects adenosine receptors, particularly the A 1 receptor subtype, in adult rats. Female rats were given water or 15% (vol/vol) ethanol in water prior to mating and throughout gestation and lactation. Sixty-day-old male rat offspring from these dams were randomly selected and assayed for adenosine A 1 receptor expression in four brain areas: cortex, cerebellum, hippocampus, and striatum. Our results indicate that ethanol intake by dams decreased body and brain weights of offspring and reduced both A 1 receptor mRNA and protein density in cortex and cerebellum. These preliminary findings indicate that ethanol intake by dams during pregnancy and lactation can affect adenosine A 1 receptor signalling in the offspring. A pair-fed controlled study is warranted to explore these findings further.
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