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Published on: July 13, 2014
[The effect of alcohol on c-fos gene expression in rat embryo neuroglial]
1Department of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, West China University of Medical Sciences, Chengdu 610041, China.
Objective:
This paper is aimed to explore the mechanisms of brain development abnormality induced by alcohol.
Methods:
Astrocytes and oligodendrocytes of 19-day rat embryo were exploited and cultured in vitro, and alcohol and its metabolite product (acetaldehyde) were added to DMEMF(12) medium. After different exposure times, c-fos expression of astrocytes and oligodendrocytes was measured by the immunocytochemistry technique.
Results:
Changes in c-fos gene expression induced by alcohol and acetaldehyde was time and dose dependent. After 1 hr exposure, alcohol and acetaldehyde affected c-fos gene expression in two kinds of neuralglia. C-fos positive expression reached peak value after 2 hr, but recovered after 72 hr and showed special time phase expression.
Conclusions:
Alcohol and acetaldehyde cause abnormal increase of c-fos gene expression in astrocytes and oligodendrocytes. This abnormal expression may play an important role in abnormal brain development induced by alcohol.
