Postnatal choline supplementation rescues deficits in synaptic plasticity following prenatal ethanol exposure
Date
2022
Authors
Grafe, Erin L.
Wade, Mira M. M.
Hodson, Claire E.
Thomas, Jennifer D.
Christie, Brian R.
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Nutrients
Abstract
Prenatal ethanol exposure (PNEE) is a leading cause of neurodevelopmental impairments,
yet treatments for individuals with PNEE are limited. Importantly, postnatal supplementation with
the essential nutrient choline can attenuate some adverse effects of PNEE on cognitive development;
however, the mechanisms of action for choline supplementation remain unclear. This study used
an animal model to determine if choline supplementation could restore hippocampal synaptic
plasticity that is normally impaired by prenatal alcohol. Throughout gestation, pregnant Sprague
Dawley rats were fed an ethanol liquid diet (35.5% ethanol-derived calories). Offspring were injected
with choline chloride (100 mg/kg/day) from postnatal days (PD) 10–30, and then used for in vitro
electrophysiology experiments as juveniles (PD 31–35). High-frequency conditioning stimuli were
used to induce long-term potentiation (LTP) in the medial perforant path input to the dentate gyrus of
the hippocampus. PNEE altered synaptic transmission in female offspring by increasing excitability,
an effect that was mitigated with choline supplementation. In contrast, PNEE juvenile males had
decreased LTP compared to controls, and this was rescued by choline supplementation. These data
demonstrate sex-specific changes in plasticity following PNEE, and provide evidence that cholinerelated
improvements in cognitive functioning may be due to its positive impact on hippocampal
synaptic physiology.
Description
Keywords
prenatal ethanol exposure, fetal alcohol, hippocampus, synaptic plasticity, choline supplementation, dentate gyrus, sex differences, intervention
Citation
Grafe, E., Wade, M., Hodson, C., Thomas, J., & Christie, B. (2022). “Postnatal choline supplementation rescues deficits in synaptic plasticity following prenatal ethanol exposure.” Nutrients, 14(10), 2004. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14102004