Pituitary lacks sexual dimorphism and displays reduced signal intensity on T1-weighted MRI in adolescents with histories of heavy prenatal alcohol exposure

Moore, Eileen M.; Infante, M. Alejandra; Migliorini, Robyn; Mattson, Sarah N.; Riley, Edward P.

doi:10.1016/j.ntt.2016.09.001

Cited by 9 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 59 publications

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“…PAE effects on the adult pituitary were sex dependent; in males, PAE increased pituitary size, while in females, PAE decreased pituitary size, effectively attenuating the inherent sex difference in the mouse pituitary. Similar effects of PAE on pituitary volumes have been observed in adolescent humans (Moore et al, 2016), and the current results suggest that early alcohol exposure may have been sufficient for those structural changes. In the small sample size available from the current dataset, pituitary volume changes were correlated with distinct behaviors in males and females, distance travelled in the center of the open field and time with the familiar social stimulus during the novelty phase, respectively.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 86%

The enduring impact of neurulation stage alcohol exposure: A combined behavioral and structural neuroimaging study in adult male and female C57BL/6J mice

Fish¹,

Wieczorek²,

Rumple³

et al. 2018

Behavioural Brain Research

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Prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) can cause behavioral and brain alterations over the lifespan. In animal models, these effects can occur following PAE confined to critical developmental periods, equivalent to the third and fourth weeks of human gestation, before pregnancy is usually recognized. The current study focuses on PAE during early neurulation and examines the behavioral and brain structural consequences that appear in adulthood. On gestational day 8 C57BL/6J dams received two alcohol (2.8g/kg, i.p), or vehicle, administrations, four hours apart. Male and female offspring were reared to adulthood and examined for performance on the elevated plus maze, rotarod, open field, Morris water maze, acoustic startle, social preference (i.e. three-chambered social approach test), and the hot plate. A subset of these mice was later evaluated using magnetic resonance imaging to detect changes in regional brain volumes and shapes. In males, PAE increased exploratory behaviors on the elevated plus maze and in the open field; these changes were associated with increased fractional anisotropy in the anterior commissure. In females, PAE reduced social preference and the startle response, and decreased cerebral cortex and brain stem volumes. Vehicle-treated females had larger pituitaries than did vehicle-treated males, but PAE attenuated this sex difference. In males, pituitary size correlated with open field activity, while in females, pituitary size correlated with social activity. These findings indicate that early neurulation PAE causes sex specific behavioral and brain changes in adulthood. Changes in the pituitary suggest that this structure is especially vulnerable to neurulation stage PAE.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 86%

The enduring impact of neurulation stage alcohol exposure: A combined behavioral and structural neuroimaging study in adult male and female C57BL/6J mice

Fish¹,

Wieczorek²,

Rumple³

et al. 2018

Behavioural Brain Research

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show abstract

“…Only one longitudinal study to date has modeled the interactions of group, sex, and age in their analysis (Lebel et al, 2012 ) and noted areas in the left hemisphere where sexually dimorphic cortical trajectories may be attenuated for those with PAE. This finding replicates previous studies that have noted attenuated sex-differences in the brain among youth with PAE (Moore et al, 2016 ; Treit et al, 2017 ; Inkelis et al, 2020 ). Moreover, one cross-sectional study showed altered white-matter developmental trajectories in males but not in females (Uban et al, 2017 ).…”

Section: Future Directionssupporting

confidence: 91%

Neurodevelopmental Trajectories Following Prenatal Alcohol Exposure

Moore

Xia

2022

Front. Hum. Neurosci.

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Prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) interferes with neurodevelopment. The brain is particularly susceptible to the adverse consequences of prenatal alcohol exposure, and numerous studies have documented changes to brain anatomy and function, as well as consequences for cognition, behavior, and mental health. Studies in typically developing individuals have shown that the brain undergoes dynamic developmental processes over an individual’s lifespan. Furthermore, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies in other neurodevelopmental and psychiatric disorders have shown that their developmental trajectories differ from the typical pattern. Therefore, to understand long-term clinical outcomes of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD), it is necessary to investigate changes in neurodevelopmental trajectories in this population. Here we review studies that have used MRI to evaluate changes in brain structure and function over time via cross-sectional or longitudinal methods in individuals with PAE. Research demonstrates that individuals with PAE have atypical cortical and white matter microstructural developmental trajectories through childhood and adolescence. More research is needed to understand how factors such as sex and postnatal experiences may further mediate these trajectories. Furthermore, nothing is known about the trajectories beyond young adulthood.

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“…Arginine vasopressin (AVP), a hormone produced and stored in the pituitary gland, has been linked to insulin signaling with lower levels producing insulin hypersensitivity (Fujiwara et al, 2007). Reductions in the volume of the pituitary gland and lower AVP levels have been found in both preclinical models of PAE (Bird et al, 2006; Knee et al, 2004) and a clinical sample of children with FASDs (Moore et al, 2016). Neuroimaging studies of the HPA access, including the pituitary gland, may be needed to help with understanding CNS involvement in the abnormal insulin levels found in this sample.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Alterations in Insulin Levels in Adults with Prenatal Alcohol Exposure

Kable

Mehta

Coles

2021

Alcoholism Clin & Exp Res

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Objective Evidence suggests that prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) may adversely impact insulin production and signaling but there is limited information on the range of these effects and their future health consequences. Method A prospective cohort of predominantly African‐American individuals identified while in utero and followed into adulthood were used to evaluate differences in various indicators of diabetes, including fasting plasma glucose, hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), and insulin levels. The homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA‐IR) was also computed. Body mass index (BMI) was calculated and normal defined as < 25 kg/m2. Participants were categorized as having PAE (n = 39) if their mothers drank at least 1 ounce of absolute alcohol per week or more during the 1st trimester of pregnancy and as Controls (n = 22) if their mothers reported abstaining from alcohol consumption during pregnancy. Results Mean age of the sample was 36.0 ± 1.5 years. Indices of glucose metabolism, including fasting plasma glucose and hemoglobin A1c levels, did not vary by group status but insulin levels and HOMA‐IR values varied by group status and BMI level. PAE individuals with a normal BMI had lower insulin levels than Controls. However, in PAE subjects, there was a steeper increase in insulin levels relative to their BMI than in Control subjects. A cluster of 5 PAE cases had low levels of insulin and 4 of the 5 had severe cognitive impairment. Conclusions The bidirectional effects on insulin level and insulin resistance associated with PAE may indicate differential rates of diabetes disease impact or differential PAE impact in the brain and peripheral areas involved in insulin production and signaling. These alterations may contribute to the metabolic disease risk associated with PAE.

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Pituitary lacks sexual dimorphism and displays reduced signal intensity on T1-weighted MRI in adolescents with histories of heavy prenatal alcohol exposure

Cited by 9 publications

References 59 publications

The enduring impact of neurulation stage alcohol exposure: A combined behavioral and structural neuroimaging study in adult male and female C57BL/6J mice

The enduring impact of neurulation stage alcohol exposure: A combined behavioral and structural neuroimaging study in adult male and female C57BL/6J mice

Neurodevelopmental Trajectories Following Prenatal Alcohol Exposure

Alterations in Insulin Levels in Adults with Prenatal Alcohol Exposure

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