Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
9187465 | Brain and Development | 2005 | 5 Pages |
Abstract
Maternal ethanol consumption during pregnancy has a detrimental effect on the central nervous system (CNS) development of fetus. 5-Hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) is an important neurotransmitter and/or neuromodulator in the mammalian CNS. Tryptophan hydroxylase (TPH) is the rate limiting enzyme of 5-HT synthesis. Ethanol is known to induce neuropsychiatric disorders by alteration of the central serotonergic system. In the present study, the effects of maternal ethanol intake on the 5-HT synthesis and the TPH expression in the dorsal raphe of rat offspring were investigated. The present results show that the synthesis of 5-HT and the expression of TPH in the dorsal raphe of rat offspring were suppressed by maternal ethanol intake and that the suppressive effect of alcohol was more potent in the 5 weeks old rat pups compared to the 3 weeks old rat pups. Based on the present study, it can be suggested that the pathogenesis of ethanol-induced neuropsychological disorders involves ethanol-induced suppression on the 5-HT synthesis and the TPH expression in the dorsal raphe of offspring.
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Authors
Eun-Kyung Kim, Myoung-Hwa Lee, Hong Kim, Young-Je Sim, Mal-Soon Shin, Sam-Jun Lee, Hye-Young Yang, Hyun-Kyung Chang, Taeck-Hyun Lee, Mi-Hyeon Jang, Min-Chul Shin, Hee-Hyuk Lee, Chang-Ju Kim,