[The effect of ethanol exposure in pregnancy on maturation of monoaminergic systems in the developing rat bran]

Simultaneous study of the main neurotransmitter of monoaminergic system of the brain, its metabolites, activity of catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) and the state of different subtypes of dopamine (DA) receptors in the developing brain of offspring from mothers alcoholized in gestation and feeding periods revealed a decrease in activity of all monoaminergic systems studied with reduction of noradrenaline and DA level in alcoholized fetus as well as of mPNA of COMT, an enzyme of catecholamine metabolism, in the structures of the forebrain on the 17th day but not on 13th day of prenatal development. In parallel experiments, an increase of the contents of both long and short splice variants of D2 DA receptor was registered. In postnatal period (days 4, 10, 17), further decrease of the DA system activity was observed, particularly a reduction of DOPAC level and DOPAC/DA ratio in rat litter, mothers of whom took alcohol in the gestation period with withdrawal it after birth of offspring. The serotonin system activity was also reduced in alcoholized litter in the postnatal period and was registered in the early stages (on the 4th day of life). Therefore, the serotonin system activity is changing at early stages of development (the 4th day), whereas inhibition of the DA system activity is registered at later stages (the 10th day of life).