PRENATAL ALCOHOL: ENDOCRINE AND BEHAVIORAL EFFECTS

先前已经证明，胎儿酒精反应可以 使成年男性性二态行为的表达女性化 在老鼠。 这些长期的行为改变是 假设是由于酒精引起的 产前关键期男性胎儿的雄激素状态 大脑性别分化的时期。 数据概述于 进度报告证实了这一假设， 胎儿酒精中没有产前睾丸激素激增 妊娠第18-19天的暴露（FAE）雄性胎仔。 在 此外，雄性睾丸的光学显微镜检查， 出生时发现胎儿酒精暴露导致形态学损伤。 作为成年人，FAE男性被发现表现出女性化或 在气味标记、水、 消费，糖精偏好和性行为。 本建议中概述的研究旨在审查 详细研究了酒精引起的相关机制的改变， 在围产期组织的男性分化， 大脑 此外，行为研究建议探索 无论是替代产前还是产后的激增， FAE男性体内的睾丸激素会使成年人的行为模式正常化 这些研究将提供新的和有价值的信息， 提高我们对产前酒精暴露如何使女性化的理解 并将有助于临床的最终发展 治疗FAE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.