Changes in Representation of Thalamic Projection Neurons within Prefrontal-Thalamic-Hippocampal Circuitry in a Rat Model of Third Trimester Binge Drinking.

ABSTRACT: Alcohol exposure (AE) during the third trimester of pregnancy-a period known as the brain growth spurt (BGS)-could result in a diagnosis of a fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD), a hallmark of which is impaired executive functioning (EF). Coordinated activity between prefrontal cortex and hippocampus is necessary for EF and thalamic nucleus reuniens (Re), which is required for prefrontal-hippocampal coordination, is damaged following high-dose AE during the BGS. The current experiment utilized high-dose AE (5.25 g/kg/day) during the BGS (i.e., postnatal days 4-9) of Long-Evans rat pups. AE reduces the number of neurons in Re into adulthood and selectively alters the proportion of Re neurons that simultaneously innervate both medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and ventral hippocampus (vHPC)

SUBMITTER: Gursky ZH 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8001051 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature