Nicotinamide Protects against Ethanol-Induced Apoptotic Neurodegeneration in the Developing Mouse Brain

Exposure to alcohol during brain development may cause a neurological syndrome called fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS). Ethanol induces apoptotic neuronal death at specific developmental stages, particularly during the brain-growth spurt, which occurs from the beginning of third trimester of gestation and continues for several years after birth in humans, whilst occuring in the first two postnatal weeks in mice. Administration of a single dose of ethanol in 7-d postnatal (P7) mice triggers activation of caspase-3 and widespread apoptotic neuronal death in the forebrain, providing a possible explanation for the microencephaly observed in human FAS. The present study was aimed at determining whether nicotinamide may prevent ethanol-induced neurodegeneration.

Our findings indicate that nicotinamide can prevent some of the deleterious effects of ethanol on the developing mouse brain when given shortly after ethanol exposure. These results suggest that nicotinamide, which has been used in humans for the treatment of diabetes and bullous pemphigoid, may hold promise as a preventive therapy of FAS.

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Pot Plus Alcohol Kills Young Rats' Brain Cells

Researchers from Humboldt University, Berlin, administered THC, a synthetic form of THC, ethanol, an anticonvulsant called MK-801, and phenobarbital to rats between one and 14 days old. A previous study by the same team found that ethanol and drugs such as sedatives, anesthetics and anticonvulsants caused extensive nerve cell death in the brains of young rodents. The new study was conducted to determine if cannabinoids caused similar harm.

The researchers found that THC and synthetic THC did not cause nerve cell death when administered alone but did cause cell death when given with mildly intoxicating amounts of ethanol. The combined effect increased according to the dose of THC and was strongest when the rats were seven days old.

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EU says alcohol industry must not target youth

BRUSSELS: The European Union's health chief urged the alcohol industry on Wednesday to avoid targeting children and young people in their marketing campaigns to reduce the numbers of alcohol-related deaths.

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Drinking while pregnant risks autism in babies

Raja Mukherjee, consultant psychiatrist at Surrey Borders Partnership NHS trust, has spent the past 18 months examining children who have been damaged by their mother’s drinking during pregnancy and found that a high proportion of them have autism. The research has been presented at scientific meetings.

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Computational selection and prioritization of candidate genes for Fetal Alcohol Syndrome

This analysis highlighted a list of strong candidate genes from the TGF-β, MAPK and
Hedgehog signalling pathways, which are all integral to fetal development and potential targets for
alcohol's teratogenic effect. We conclude that this novel bioinformatics approach effectively
prioritizes credible candidate genes for further experimental analysis.

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International survey of diagnostic services for children with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders

Diagnostic services are concentrated in North America. Most responding clinics are
using a multidisciplinary approach with neurobehavioural assessment as
recommended in published guidelines. Agreement on diagnostic criteria would
enable comparison of clinical and research data, and enhance FASD research
particularly for intervention trials. The effects on the fetus of alcohol exposure in pregnancy have been well described but barriers to diagnosis remain.

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Men's fertility is under attack and scientists fear for future generations, writes Steve Dow.

The discovery has been made in the new science known as "epigenetics", which strongly suggests chemical damage is causing abnormal sperm and male infertility via a pregnant woman's exposure to contaminants, passing infertility not only to her son but successive sons - overturning old assumptions about biology and DNA.

Until recently, it had been assumed a gene had to be mutated for a disease to be inherited. But studies on pregnant rats exposed to pesticides show male offspring can inherit reproductive disorders, and pass them on to their children and grandchildren, through an abnormality that affects the activity of genes but leaves the sequence of the DNA code unchanged.

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The Medicated Child

In recent years, there's been a dramatic increase in the number of children being diagnosed with serious psychiatric disorders and prescribed medications that are just beginning to be tested in children. The drugs can cause serious side effects, and virtually nothing is known about their long-term impact. "It's really to some extent an experiment, trying medications in these children of this age," child psychiatrist Dr. Patrick Bacon tells FRONTLINE. "It's a gamble. And I tell parents there's no way to know what's going to work."

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1st Central and Eastern European Summit on Preconception Health and Prevention of Birth Defects, Budapest, Hungary, August 27-30, 2008

We are pleased to announce the 1st Central and Eastern European Summit on Preconception Health and Prevention of Birth Defects in Budapest, Hungary on August 27-30, 2008, hosted by the Research and Prevention for Families Foundation and the Hungarian Congenital Abnormality Registry.

Conference Goal
To provide a platform for review, analysis and discussion of the promotion of women’s health before, during and beyond pregnancy, and the role of preconception health and health care in the prevention of birth defects in the Central and Eastern European region.

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Iceberg is a quarterly educational newsletter published by FASIS (Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Information Service), a federally recognized 501(c)3 nonprofit, community organization, since 1991. Iceberg is funded in part by a grant from the Washington State Division of Alcohol & Substance Abuse.

Iceberg nr 1, April 2008 >>>