Alcohol is a well-recognized teratogen that can causevariable physical and behavioral effects on the fetus.Alcohol use and abuse during pregnancy is one of the major health and societal problems and has been linked to...Alcohol is a well-recognized teratogen that can causevariable physical and behavioral effects on the fetus.Alcohol use and abuse during pregnancy is one of the major health and societal problems and has been linked to a wide range of birth defects in the offspring collectively termed as fetal alcohol spectrum disorder(FASD). The severity of abnormalities may depend on a number of factors that include the amount, the frequency, the period during gestation and the route of alcohol administration. The current knowledge about the neurobiological basis of FASD is limited. However, recent studies have suggested that the membrane-derived lipids especially bioactive endogenous cannabinoids(eCB)such as arachidonyl ethanolamide and 2-arachidonyl glycerol resulting from alcohol exposure, may play a significant role in modulating neurophysiological and neurobehavioral effects in chronic alcohol exposed adult animals. Based on these findings and on reported studies on the role of eCB signaling in neurodevelopment and behavior, it is speculated that the eC B signaling may play a critical role in fetal alcohol syndrome and FASD-related behavioral effects. The current discussion will touch upon some of the mechanistic explanations about the role of eCB signaling system in FASD and provide further guidance for future direction.展开更多
文摘Alcohol is a well-recognized teratogen that can causevariable physical and behavioral effects on the fetus.Alcohol use and abuse during pregnancy is one of the major health and societal problems and has been linked to a wide range of birth defects in the offspring collectively termed as fetal alcohol spectrum disorder(FASD). The severity of abnormalities may depend on a number of factors that include the amount, the frequency, the period during gestation and the route of alcohol administration. The current knowledge about the neurobiological basis of FASD is limited. However, recent studies have suggested that the membrane-derived lipids especially bioactive endogenous cannabinoids(eCB)such as arachidonyl ethanolamide and 2-arachidonyl glycerol resulting from alcohol exposure, may play a significant role in modulating neurophysiological and neurobehavioral effects in chronic alcohol exposed adult animals. Based on these findings and on reported studies on the role of eCB signaling in neurodevelopment and behavior, it is speculated that the eC B signaling may play a critical role in fetal alcohol syndrome and FASD-related behavioral effects. The current discussion will touch upon some of the mechanistic explanations about the role of eCB signaling system in FASD and provide further guidance for future direction.
