Maternal iron nutriture modulates placental development in a rat model of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder.

ABSTRACT: Prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) causes developmental abnormalities known as fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD). Maternal iron status modulates the severity of these defects in the offspring. Because the placenta is central in supporting fetal development, we investigated whether maternal iron status similarly modulates alcohol's effects in the placenta. We hypothesized that PAE causes placental insufficiency by decreasing placental weight and efficiency, and we hypothesized that these are worsened by maternal iron deficiency (ID) and alleviated by dietary iron fortification (IF). We also determined whether altered placental iron flux and inflammatory balance contribute to placental insufficiency. Pregnant Long-Evans rats consumed an iron-deficient (ID; 2-6 ppm), iron-sufficient (IS; 10

SUBMITTER: Kwan STC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7131893 | biostudies-literature | 2020 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature