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Prenatal Exposure to Alcohol Induces Functional and Structural Plasticity in Dopamine D1 Receptor‐Expressing Neurons of the Dorsomedial Striatum
Author(s) -
Cheng Yifeng,
Wang Xuehua,
Wei Xiaoyan,
Xie Xueyi,
Melo Sebastian,
Miranda Rajesh C.,
Wang Jun
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
alcoholism: clinical and experimental research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.267
H-Index - 153
eISSN - 1530-0277
pISSN - 0145-6008
DOI - 10.1111/acer.13806
Subject(s) - offspring , glutamatergic , striatum , dopamine , medium spiny neuron , medicine , endocrinology , dopamine receptor d1 , glutamate receptor , neuroscience , psychology , biology , dopamine receptor , pregnancy , receptor , genetics
Background Prenatal alcohol exposure ( PAE ) is a leading cause of hyperactivity in children. Excitation of dopamine D1 receptor‐expressing medium spiny neurons (D1‐ MSN s) of the dorsomedial striatum ( DMS ), a brain region that controls voluntary behavior, is known to induce hyperactivity in mice. We therefore hypothesized that PAE ‐linked hyperactivity was due to persistently altered glutamatergic activity in DMS D1‐ MSN s. Methods Female Ai14 tdTomato reporter mice were given access to alcohol in an intermittent access, 2‐bottle choice paradigm before pregnancy, and following mating with male D1‐Cre mice, through the pregnancy period, and until postnatal day (P) 10. Locomotor activity was tested in juvenile (P21) and adult (P133) offspring, and alcohol‐conditioned place preference ( CPP ) was measured in adult offspring. Glutamatergic activity in DMS D1‐ MSN s of adult PAE and control mice was measured by slice electrophysiology, followed by measurements of dendritic morphology. Results Our voluntary maternal alcohol consumption model resulted in increased locomotor activity in juvenile PAE mice, and this hyperactivity was maintained into adulthood. Furthermore, PAE resulted in a higher alcohol‐induced CPP in adult offspring. Glutamatergic activity onto DMS D1‐ MSN s was also enhanced by PAE . Finally, PAE increased dendritic complexity in DMS D1‐ MSN s in adult offspring. Conclusions Our model of PAE does result in persistent hyperactivity in offspring. In adult PAE offspring, hyperactivity is accompanied by potentiated glutamatergic strength and afferent connectivity in DMS D1‐ MSN s, an outcome that is also consistent with the observed increase in alcohol preference in PAE offspring. Consequently, a PAE ‐sensitive circuit, centered within the D1‐ MSN , may be linked to behavioral outcomes of PAE .