News Release

Drinking alcohol during pregnancy affects learning and memory function in offspring?

Peer-Reviewed Publication

Neural Regeneration Research

Hippocampal Neurons

image: A large number of hippocampal neurons were stained with cyclin-dependent kinase 5 in the offspring from the ethanol-treated group (immunofluorescence, x 400). view more 

Credit: <i>Neural Regeneration Research</i>

Maternal alcohol consumption during pregnancy has detrimental effects on fetal central nervous system development. Maternal alcohol consumption prior to and during pregnancy significantly affects cognitive functions in offspring, which may be related to changes in cyclin-dependent kinase 5 because it is associated with modulation of synaptic plasticity and impaired learning and memory. Prof. Ruiling Zhang and team from Xinxiang Medical University explored the correlation between cyclin-dependent kinase 5 expression in the hippocampus and neurological impairments following prenatal ethanol exposure, and found that prenatal ethanol exposure could affect cyclin-dependent kinase 5 and its activator p35 in the hippocampus of offspring rats. These findings, which reported in the Neural Regeneration Research (Vol. 8, No. 18, 2013), propose new insights into the mechanisms underlying the role of ethanol exposure in central nervous system injuries, and provide a new strategy for treating the consequences of prenatal ethanol exposure.

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Article: " A new treatment for cognitive disorders related to in utero exposure to alcohol," by Shuang Li1, 2, Yan Zhang1, 2, Feng Zhu3, Bin Zhang3, Jianying Lin3, Chunyang Xu4, 5, Wancai Yang6, Wei Hao1, 5, Ruiling Zhang1, 5 (1 Second Affiliated Hospital, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang 453003, Henan Province, China; 2 Department of Physiology, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang 453003, Henan Province, China; 3 First Affiliated Hospital, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang 453003, Henan Province, China; 4 Department of Immunology, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang 453003, Henan Province, China; 5 Henan Key Laboratory of Biological Psychiatry, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang 453003, Henan Province, China; 6 School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang 453003, Henan Province, China)

Li S, Zhang Y, Zhu F, Zhang B, Lin JY, Xu CY, Yang WC, Hao W, Zhang RL. A new treatment for cognitive disorders related to in utero exposure to alcohol. Neural Regen Res. 2013;8(18):1702-1713.

Contact:

Meng Zhao
eic@nrren.org
86-138-049-98773
Neural Regeneration Research
http://www.nrronline.org/

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