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[P2.14]: ADP‐ribosylation‐like factor‐6 interacting protein is required for neural crest development in zebrafish embryos
Author(s) -
Yang T.C.,
Tu C.T.,
Tsai H.J.
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
international journal of developmental neuroscience
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.761
H-Index - 88
eISSN - 1873-474X
pISSN - 0736-5748
DOI - 10.1016/j.ijdevneu.2008.09.139
Subject(s) - neural crest , library science , citation , zebrafish , impact factor , computer science , biology , political science , embryo , genetics , law , gene
Epilepsy is one of the most common neurologic disorders affecting 0.5–1% of pregnant women. The use of antiepileptic drugs, which usually must be continued throughout the pregnancy, can cause in offspringmild to severe sensory deficits.While the mechanisms by which prenatal anticonvulsants exposure disrupts sensory processing are poorly understood, there is growing evidence that this disruption result from abnormalities of neuronal plasticity. In general, the formation of sensory cortical maps in composed by an initial phase when the basic structure of the map is formed followed by a subsequent phase when the map is refined by process that requires activity-dependent neuronal plasticity. An alteration on this process might result in poorly defined sensory maps. Here we investigate the effects of valproic acid (VPA), a commonly used antiepileptic, on the maturation of orientation selectivity columns. Ferrets pupswere exposed toVPA (200 mg/kg), every other day, starting at postnatal day (P) 10, when the functional properties and connectivity of neocortical neurons start to develop. VPA exposure ended at P30, just before eye opening at P32. Control animals received i.p. injection of saline during the same period. Following a prolonged VPA-free period (15–35 days), long-term effects of early VPA exposure on cortical orientation selectivity were examined at P48–P65, when orientation selectivity in normal ferret cortex has reached a mature state. Optical imaging of intrinsic signals revealed decreased contrast of orientation maps in VPA—but not salinetreated animals. Moreover, early VPA treatment weakened neuronal orientation selectivity preserved robust visual responses. These findings indicate that VPA exposure during a brief period of development disrupts cortical processing of sensory information at a later age and suggest a neurobiological substrate for some types of sensory deficits in fetal anticonvulsant syndrome.