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Evaluating the effects of maternal alcohol consumption on murine fetal brain vasculature using optical coherence
Raksha Raghunathan1, Chen Wu1, Manmohan Singh1
1Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, Texas.
Insights
Prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) rapidly constricts fetal brain blood vessels. This study reveals immediate vasoconstriction in the developing brain following binge-like alcohol exposure during critical neurogenesis periods.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Biology
- Vascular Biology
Background:
- Prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) causes fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD), impacting brain and behavior.
- PAE during the first two trimesters is common, with known neural developmental deficits.
- Immediate effects of PAE on fetal brain vasculature remain largely unknown.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the acute effects of binge-like maternal alcohol exposure on fetal brain microvasculature.
- To assess dynamic changes in fetal brain vasculature in real-time following alcohol exposure.
Main Methods:
- Utilized in utero speckle variance optical coherence tomography for high-resolution imaging.
- Examined the 2nd trimester equivalent murine fetal brain microvasculature.
- Measured changes minutes after acute binge-like maternal alcohol exposure compared to a sham group.
Main Results:
- A single binge-like maternal alcohol exposure caused a rapid and significant decrease in fetal brain vessel diameter (<1 hour).
- Observed vasoconstriction occurred at P < .001 compared to the sham group.
- Demonstrated swift vasoconstriction in fetal brain vessels during the critical neurogenesis period.
Conclusions:
- Acute binge-like prenatal alcohol exposure induces rapid vasoconstriction in the developing fetal brain vasculature.
- These findings highlight immediate vascular changes during critical neurodevelopmental windows.
- The study provides novel insights into the acute vascular consequences of PAE.
Abstract:
Prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) can result in a range of anomalies including brain and behavioral dysfunctions, collectively termed fetal alcohol spectrum disorder. PAE during the 1st and 2nd trimester is common, and research in animal models has documented significant neural developmental deficits associated with PAE during this period. However, little is known about the immediate effects of PAE on fetal brain vasculature. In this study, we used in utero speckle variance optical coherence tomography, a high spatial- and temporal-resolution imaging modality, to evaluate dynamic changes in microvasculature of the 2nd trimester equivalent murine fetal brain, minutes after binge-like maternal alcohol exposure. Acute binge-like PAE resulted in a rapid (<1 hour) and significant decrease (P < .001) in vessel diameter as compared to the sham group. The data show that a single binge-like maternal alcohol exposure resulted in swift vasoconstriction in fetal brain vessels during the critical period of neurogenesis.
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