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Published on: July 13, 2014
Alcohol exposure during late gestation adversely affects myocardial development with implications for postnatal
Joanna M Goh1, Jonathan G Bensley, Kelly Kenna
1Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Monash University, Clayton Campus, Bldg. 76, Victoria 3800 Australia.
American Journal of Physiology. Heart and Circulatory Physiology
|November 16, 2010
Summary
Moderate prenatal alcohol exposure during late gestation accelerates fetal heart development. This can lead to increased heart size and advanced cardiomyocyte maturation, potentially programming long-term cardiac vulnerability.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Physiology
- Developmental Biology
- Toxicology
Background:
- High prenatal ethanol exposure is linked to cardiac malformations.
- Effects of lower ethanol doses on fetal heart development are not well understood.
- Cardiomyocyte maturation occurs during late gestation in both sheep and humans.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of daily, moderate ethanol exposure during late gestation on the developing fetal myocardium.
- To assess changes in cardiomyocyte size, number, nuclearity, and maturation.
- To evaluate collagen deposition and gene expression related to cardiomyocyte proliferation and apoptosis.
Main Methods:
- Pregnant ewes received daily infusions of ethanol (0.75 g/kg) or saline from gestational days 95-133.
- Fetal heart tissues were collected at day 134 for analysis.
- Methods included unbiased stereology, confocal microscopy, image analysis, and quantitative real-time PCR.
Main Results:
- Ethanol exposure resulted in increased relative heart weight, relative left ventricle (LV) wall volume, and cardiomyocyte cross-sectional area.
- LV maturation was advanced, evidenced by a 12% increase in binucleated cardiomyocytes and a decrease in mononucleated cells.
- Apoptotic gene expression was elevated in ethanol-exposed hearts; no significant differences in total cardiomyocyte number or collagen were found.
Conclusions:
- Moderate daily ethanol exposure in late gestation accelerates fetal cardiomyocyte maturation and increases cardiomyocyte and LV tissue volume.
- These developmental changes may predispose the fetal heart to long-term cardiac vulnerability.
- Further research is needed to understand the long-term consequences of these ethanol-induced cardiac adaptations.
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