Life Sciences Commons^™

The Relationship Between Cerebrovascular Impairment And Behavioral Abnormalities In Rats Exposed To Alcohol In Utero, Tiffany M. Knecht

Honors Thesis

Maternal consumption of alcohol during pregnancy can result in fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD), which describes a range of developmental disorders. The goal of this study was to examine the association between impaired cerebrovascular function and behavioral abnormalities associated with FASD. We fed Sprague-Dawley dams a liquid diet with or without alcohol (3% ethanol) for the duration of their pregnancy. We then performed short-term memory and motor coordination assessments on the offspring during adolescence or adulthood. Next, we examined cerebral arteriole reactivity to the vasodilators nitroglycerin, adenosine diphosphate, N-methyl-D-aspartate, and iloprost. We found impairment in eNOS-, nNOS-, and K-channel-dependent dilation …