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Effects of fetal alcohol exposure on zinc homeostasis in the newborn pulmonary alveolar macrophage
Author(s) -
Konomi Juna,
Brown Lou Ann
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.27.1_supplement.lb261
Subject(s) - in utero , endocrinology , zinc , medicine , fetus , zinc deficiency (plant disorder) , ethanol , liquid diet , physiology , immunology , calorie , chemistry , pregnancy , andrology , biology , biochemistry , genetics , organic chemistry
Since zinc is essential for innate and adaptive immunity, zinc deficiency increases susceptibility to infection and magnifies existing infections. To examine the effects of in utero alcohol exposure, C57BL/6 female mice were fed the Lieber DeCarli liquid diet with 25% ethanol derived calories or with 25% maltose dextrin derived calories during preconception and pregnancy. At delivery, alveolar macrophages (AMs) from dams and pups were isolated and treated with FluoZin‐3AM to measure AM zinc and FITC‐labeled inactive Staph. aureus to measure phagocytosis. AMs from pregnant ethanol‐fed dams had lower intracellular zinc ( p= 0.007) and decreased phagocytic function ( p< 0.05), when compared to pregnant controls. AMs isolated from pups with fetal ethanol exposure displayed lower zinc levels ( p= 0.078) and AM function ( p= 0.041) than unexposed pups. Additionally, protein expression of the zinc transporter, ZnT1, was significantly lower in exposed pups than unexposed pups ( p =0.003). Chronic alcohol exposure in adults or chronic in utero exposure decreases pulmonary AM function via decreased zinc availability which may contribute to an increased risk of respiratory infections. Funding: NIH/NIAAA P50 AA135757 (LAB)