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Updated: Jul 17, 2026

Construction of Vapor Chambers Used to Expose Mice to Alcohol During the Equivalent of all Three Trimesters of Human Development
Published on: July 13, 2014
[Optic neuropathy induced by prenatal drug or alcohol exposure]
S Pons1, V Zanón-Moreno, P Melo
1Unidad de Investigación Oftalmológica Santiago Grisolía (Valencia, España) y Departamento de Oftalmología, Hospital Universitario Punta de Europa, Algeciras, España.
Purpose:
The main aim of this work was to analyse the cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in retinal and optic nerve development, and the consequences of methamphetamine "ice" (MA) or alcohol (EtOH) abuse during pregnancy on the developing visual system.
Material And Methods:
Wistar rats were exposed to MA or EtOH during gestation and lactation and their offspring studied. Control isocaloric rats were maintained in parallel. The eyes and optic nerves from pups (at 7, 14 and 21 postnatal days) were processed using morphologic, morphometric and western blot approaches using antibodies against glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), myelin basic protein (MBP) and neurofilament protein (NFP).
Results:
Statistically significant differences were observed between the methamphetamine-exposed and the alcohol-exposed rats, as compared to the controls. The optic nerve cross-sectional area was smaller in the drug or alcohol-exposed animals. The expression of developmental protein markers (GFAP and MBP) in the retina and optic nerve displayed striking alterations related to drug or alcohol abuse during gestation and lactation.
Conclusions:
Psychostimulant and alcohol exposure alters the development of the retina and optic nerve.
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