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Published on: July 13, 2014
Alcohol consumption during pregnancy differentially affects the fecal microbiota of dams and offspring
Tamara S Bodnar1,2, Garrett Ainsworth-Cruickshank3, Vincent Billy3
1Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada. tamara.bodnar@ucalgary.ca.
Insights
Prenatal alcohol exposure alters gut microbiota in dams and offspring, impacting Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) development. This study highlights the microbiota
Area of Science:
- Microbiome research
- Neurodevelopmental disorders
- Toxicology
Background:
- Microbiota imbalances are associated with various diseases and neurodevelopmental conditions.
- Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) arises from prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) but its link to microbiota is understudied.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of maternal alcohol consumption on the gut microbiota of both dams and their offspring.
- To characterize alterations in bacterial diversity, composition, and predicted functions due to PAE.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a rodent model to simulate alcohol consumption during pregnancy.
- Analyzed the gut microbiota composition and diversity in dams and offspring exposed to alcohol versus controls.
Main Results:
- Alcohol consumption by dams led to decreased bacterial diversity and altered community composition in both dams and offspring.
- Significant changes in bacterial taxa and predicted biochemical pathways were observed, but with minimal overlap between dam and offspring microbiota.
- PAE significantly impacted the gut microbiota in a sex-specific manner.
Conclusions:
- The gut microbiota plays a potential role in the pathophysiology of FASD.
- Findings support further research into microbiota-based interventions for FASD.
- PAE-induced microbiota changes in offspring warrant further investigation for their specific contribution to FASD-related dysfunction.
Abstract:
Microbiota imbalances are linked to inflammation and disease, as well as neurodevelopmental conditions where they may contribute to behavioral, physiological, and central nervous system dysfunction. By contrast, the role of the microbiota in Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD), the group of neurodevelopmental conditions that can occur following prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE), has not received similar attention. Here we utilized a rodent model of alcohol consumption during pregnancy to characterize the impact of alcohol on the microbiota of dam-offspring dyads. Overall, bacterial diversity decreased in alcohol-consuming dams and community composition differed from that of controls in alcohol-consuming dams and their offspring. Bacterial taxa and predicted biochemical pathway composition were also altered with alcohol consumption/exposure; however, there was minimal overlap between the changes in dams and offspring. These findings illuminate the potential importance of the microbiota in the pathophysiology of FASD and support investigation into novel microbiota-based interventions.
