Effects of Prenatal Alcohol Exposure (PAE): Insights into FASD using PAE Mouse Models

Abstract The potential impact of prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) varies considerably among exposed individuals, with some displaying serious alcohol-related effects and many others showing few or no overt signs of a fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD). In animal models variables such as nutrition, genetic background, health, other drugs, and stress, as well as dosage, duration and gestational timing of alcohol exposure can all be controlled in a way not possible in a clinical situation. In this review we examine mouse PAE models and focus on those with demonstrated craniofacial malformations, abnormal brain development, or behavioral phenotypes that may be considered FASD-like outcomes. Analysis of these data should provide a valuable tool for researchers wishing to choose the PAE model best-suited to their research questions or to investigate established PAE models for FASD comorbidities. It should also allow recognition of patterns linking gestational timing, dosage and duration of PAE, such as recognizing binge alcohol exposure(s) during early gestation can lead to severe FASD outcomes. Identified patterns could be particularly insightful and lead to a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying FASD.The accepted manuscript in pdf format is listed with the files at the bottom of this page. The presentation of the authors' names and (or) special characters in the title of the manuscript may differ slightly between what is listed on this page and what is listed in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript; that in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript is what was submitted by the author