Prenatal alcohol exposure reduces 5-HT concentration in mouse intestinal muscle and mucosa

• Published in: Environmental toxicology and pharmacology Vol. 61; pp. 24 - 29
• Main Authors: Dylag, Katarzyna A., Fidalgo, Sara V.S., Gard, Paul R., Patel, Bhavik Anil
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 01.07.2018; Elsevier Science Ltd
• Subjects: Alcohol; Alcoholic beverages; Brain; Breeding; Colon; Drinking behavior; Drinking water; Enteric nervous system; Estrus cycle; Ethanol; Exposure; Females; Gastrointestinal; Gastrointestinal system; High performance liquid chromatography; Intestine; Liquid chromatography; Metabolites; Mice; Mucosa; Muscles; Myenteric plexus; Pregnancy; Prenatal alcohol exposure; Prenatal experience; Saccharin; Serotonin; Tryptophan; Serotonin; LMMP; Tryptophan; 5HIAA; Myenteric plexus; Colon; 5-HT; Gastrointestinal; HPLC; Prenatal alcohol exposure
• ISSN: 1382-6689; 1872-7077
• DOI: 10.1016/j.etap.2018.05.011

•PAE resulted in decreased mucosal 5-HT in male and female offspring.•Decrease LMMP 5-HT was observed only in female offspring.•Tryptophan was found to be increased in mucosa and LMMP of female offspring only.•The results suggest a decreased synthesis of 5-HT due to PAE. The influence of prenatal alcohol exposure on the serotoninergic system in the brain has been well studied, however its influence on the serotoninergic system in the gastrointestinal system remains unknown. The objective of the study was to use a mouse model of prenatal alcohol exposure to investigate the effects on serotonin and its metabolites and precursors in colonic tissue. This study used treatment of mouse breeding harems with 5% ethanol with saccharin via drinking water throughout pregnancy and compared the results with a saccharin control group. Tryptophan, serotonin (5-HT) and 5- hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) concentrations were measured in the longitudinal muscle myenteric plexus (LMMP) and mucosa of intestinal tissue by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Decreased 5-HT concentrations in mucosa and LMMP (females only) were observed in prenatally exposed mice compared to controls. Increases in mucosal and LMMP tryptophan concentration were only observed in prenatally exposed female mice. In conclusion, prenatal alcohol exposure causes a decrease in conversion of tryptophan to 5-HT in both muscle and mucosa although the effect is more pronounced in females. The observed sex difference may be related to changes associated with the estrous cycle.