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Preconception Paternal Alcohol Consumption Elicits Postnatal Changes in Neural Retinas of the Offspring
Kofi Owusu-Ansah1,2, Kara N Thomas3, Kelsey Cox1
1Department of Veterinary Integrative Biosciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States.
Insights
Preconception paternal alcohol consumption (PPAC) negatively impacts offspring eye development, causing reduced retinal function and thinning in young mice. These effects, similar to fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, highlight paternal alcohol
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Neuroscience
- Reproductive Biology
Background:
- Maternal alcohol exposure is a known cause of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD)-related ocular defects.
- The impact of preconception paternal alcohol consumption (PPAC) on offspring eye development remains largely uninvestigated.
- Understanding PPAC's role is crucial for a comprehensive view of alcohol's teratogenic effects.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the effects of PPAC on the retinal function and morphology of offspring.
- To investigate potential links between PPAC and FASD-related ocular abnormalities.
Main Methods:
- Male mice exposed to ethanol or water (control) were bred with naive females.
- Offspring retinal function was assessed using electroretinography (ERG) at various ages.
- Retinal and retinal layer thicknesses were analyzed morphometrically.
Main Results:
- Some offspring exhibited ocular malformations, including a single developed eye.
- Reduced ERG a- and b-wave amplitudes indicated impaired retinal light responses, particularly in female offspring.
- Significant thinning of inner retinal layers was observed in young PPAC offspring, though differences diminished by six months.
Conclusions:
- PPAC contributes to FASD-related ocular defects, impacting retinal function and structure in offspring.
- The findings underscore the importance of considering paternal alcohol exposure as a significant risk factor for offspring developmental abnormalities.
- Adverse effects of PPAC on offspring ocular health warrant serious consideration alongside maternal alcohol consumption.
Purpose:
This study aims to determine the impact of preconception paternal alcohol consumption (PPAC) on retinal function and morphology in PPAC-offspring. Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD)-related ocular defects caused by maternal alcohol exposure has been well investigated, but the influence of PPAC on offspring eyes remains unknown.
Methods:
Adult C57BL/6J male mice were exposed to either 10% ethanol or water (control) for six weeks and bred to naïve females. Dark-adapted retinal light responses at two, four, and six months old were assessed using electroretinography (ERG) for the offspring born to PPAC and control males. The thicknesses of whole retinas and different retinal layers of the control and PPAC-offspring were analyzed at two and six months old.
Results:
Some PPAC-offspring had only one developed eye. ERG a- and b-wave amplitudes were reduced in PPAC-offspring compared to controls, with a more pronounced effect in females. PPAC had significant effects on inner retinal function. At two months old, there was a significant thinning of the retinal inner nuclear and inner plexiform layers in PPAC-offspring. At six months old, the retinal thickness and ERG amplitudes were similar between both treatment groups.
Conclusions:
This study provides pioneering evidence that PPAC contributes to FASD-related ocular defects including negative impacts on retinal light responses and retinal thinning in young adult offspring. Thus the adverse impact of paternal alcohol consumption prior to conception on their offspring (from childhood to early adulthood) should be considered as seriously as the maternal contribution to FASD.
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