PRENATAL ALCOHOL: ENDOCRINE AND BEHAVIORAL EFFECTS

此前已经证明，胎儿酒精反应可以 将成年男性性二态行为的表达女性化 在老鼠身上。这些长期的行为改变是 假设是由酒精引起的脑电活动中断所致 围产期男性胎儿雄激素水平的研究 大脑性别分化的时期。中概述的数据 进度报告通过展示 胎儿酒精中的睾酮在产前缺乏激增 在怀孕18-19天暴露(FAE)男性胎儿。在……里面 此外，对男性的睾丸进行光镜检查 出生时，胎儿因酒精暴露而出现形态损害。 成年后，异种雄性被发现表现出女性化或 气味标记、水中的行为模式去中心化 消费、糖精偏好和性行为。 本提案中概述的研究旨在审查 具体地说，酒精引起的相关机制的改变 在围产期男性分化的组织中 大脑。此外，还建议进行行为研究，以探索 无论是产前的更替还是产后的激增 FAE雄性体内的睾丸激素将使成年人的行为模式正常化。 这些研究将提供新的有价值的信息， 加深我们对产前饮酒如何女性化的理解 男性，并将有助于临床的最终发展 治疗异能儿童的策略。

It has been previously demonstrated that fetal alcohol response can feminize the expression of adult male sexually dimorphic behaviors in the rat. These long-term behavioral alterations are hypothesized to result from an alcohol-induced disruption of androgenic status in the male fetus during the critical prenatal period for sexual differentiation of the brain. Data outlined in the progress report support this hypothesis by demonstrating the absence of a prenatal surge of testosterone in fetal alcohol exposed (FAE) male fetuses on days 18-19 of gestation. In addition, light microscopic examination of the testes of males at birth revealed morphologic damage due to fetal alcohol exposure. As adults, FAE males were found to exhibit feminized or demasculinized patterns of behavior in scent marking, water consumption, saccharin preference, and sexual behavior. Studies outlined in the present proposal are designed to examine in detail alcohol-induced alterations in the mechanisms involved in the perinatal organization of masculine differentiation of the brains. In addition, behavioral studies are proposed to explore whether replacement of the prenatal or postnatal surge of testosterone in FAE males will normalize adult behavior patterns. These studies will provide new and valuable information which will enhance our understanding of how prenatal alcohol exposure feminize males and will aid in the eventual development of clinical strategies to treat FAE children.