Gastrulation-stage alcohol exposure induces similar rates of craniofacial malformations in male and female C57BL/6J mice.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Prenatal alcohol exposure during gastrulation (embryonic day [E] 7 in mice, ~3rd week of human pregnancy) impairs eye, facial, and cortical development, recapitulating birth defects characteristic of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS). However, it is not known whether the prevalence or severity of craniofacial features associated with FAS is affected by biological sex.

Methods

The current study administered either alcohol (2.9 g/kg, two i.p. doses, 4 hr apart) or vehicle to pregnant C57BL/6J females on E7, prior to gonadal sex differentiation, and assessed fetal morphology at E17.

Results

Whereas sex did not affect fetal size in controls, alcohol-exposed females were smaller than both control females and alcohol-treated males. Alcohol exposure increased the incid

SUBMITTER: Boschen KE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10872400 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature