Prenatal ethanol exposure alters the expression of period genes governing the circadian function of β‐endorphin neurons in the hypothalamus

May 12, 2006Journal of neurochemistry

Prenatal Alcohol Exposure Changes Daily Rhythm Genes in Brain Cells Controlling Beta-Endorphin

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Abstract

Fetal ethanol exposure significantly alters the circadian function of beta-endorphin neurons.

  • Rats exposed to ethanol during gestational days 10-21 exhibited abnormal circadian expression of proopiomelanocortin (POMC) mRNA in the hypothalamus during adulthood.
  • Altered circadian expression of clock genes rPer1, rPer2, and rPer3 was observed in the arcuate nucleus of fetal ethanol-exposed rats.
  • Increased levels of rPer1 and rPer2 mRNA were found in the suprachiasmatic nucleus in these rats.
  • Constitutive expression of rPer1, rPer2, and rPer3 genes was identified in beta-endorphin-containing neurons through laser captured microdissection analysis.

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