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Effects of Maternal Ethanol Consumption and Buspirone Treatment on 5‐HT 1A and 5‐HT 2A Receptors in Offspring
Author(s) -
Kim JungAe,
Gillespie Roberta A.,
Druse Mary J.
Publication year - 1997
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/j.1530-0277.1997.tb04434.x
Subject(s) - buspirone , receptor , offspring , endocrinology , medicine , in utero , 5 ht receptor , 5 ht1a receptor , serotonin , agonist , hippocampus , hippocampal formation , biology , fetus , pregnancy , genetics
In utero ethanol exposure results in a decreased concentration of serotonin (5‐HT) in brain regions containing the cell bodies of 5‐HT neurons and their cortical projections. The concentration of 5‐HT reuptake sites is also reduced in several brain areas. The present study extended prior work by evaluating the effects of chronic maternal ethanol consumption and maternal buspirone treatment on 5‐HT 1A and 5‐HT 2A receptors in multiple brain areas of offspring. Receptors were quantitated early in postnatal development and at an age when the 5‐HT networks are normally well‐established. Because fetal 5‐HT functions as an essential neurotrophic factor, these studies also determined whether treatment of pregnant rats with buspirone, a 5‐HT 1A agonist, could overcome the effects of the fetal 5‐HT deficit and prevent ethanol‐associated receptor abnormalities. The results demonstrated that in utero ethanol exposure significantly alters the binding of 0.1 nM [ 3 H]‐8‐hydroxy‐dipropylaminotetralin to 5‐HT 1A receptors in developing animals. Ethanol impaired the development of 5‐HT 1A receptors in the frontal cortex, parietal cortex, and lateral septum; these receptors did not undergo the normal developmental increase between postnatal days 19 and 35. The dentate gyms was also sensitive to the effects of in utero ethanol exposure. 5‐HT 1A receptors were increased in this region at 19 days. Maternal buspirone treatment prevented the ethanol‐associated abnormalities in 5‐HT 1A receptors in the dentate gyms, frontal cortex, and lateral septum. Neither maternal ethanol consumption nor buspirone treatment altered the binding of 2 nM [ 3 H]ketanserin to 5‐HT 2A receptors in the ventral dentate gyrus, dorsal raphe, parietal and frontal cortexes, striatum, substantia nigra, or nucleus accumbens.