The Biological Impacts of Fetal Alcohol Exposure

A Special Issue of Life (ISSN 2075-1729) belonging to the section "Reproductive and Developmental Biology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2026 | Viewed by 1541

Editor


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Guest Editor
Department of Psychology, University of California, 900 University Ave, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
Interests: immunohistochemistry; immunofluorescence; PCR; neurobiology immunocytochemistry; gene expression; neurobiology and brain physiology

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

I would like to lead a Special Issue for the journal Life, dedicated to exploring the biological impacts of fetal alcohol exposure. This Special Issue aims to bring together cutting-edge research from a range of disciplines, including developmental biology, neuroscience, genetics, and epidemiology, to deepen our understanding of how prenatal alcohol exposure affects fetal development and long-term health outcomes. Despite decades of research, many questions remain about the mechanisms by which alcohol disrupts critical biological processes during gestation, and how these disruptions translate into the clinical features observed in fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs). This Special Issue seeks to address these gaps by highlighting novel findings on molecular pathways, biomarkers, and behavior, in both humans and translational animal models, as well as studies examining the variability in susceptibility due to genetic and environmental factors. We invite original research articles, reviews, and commentaries that offer new insights into the pathophysiology, diagnosis, and potential interventions for FASD. Our goal is to foster interdisciplinary collaboration and advance scientific knowledge that can ultimately inform public health strategies, clinical practice, and policy aimed at preventing and mitigating the lifelong effects of fetal alcohol exposure. We look forward to curating a collection that will serve as a valuable resource for researchers, clinicians, and educators in this critical field.

Dr. Kelly J. Huffman
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • fetal alcohol spectrum disorders
  • fetal alcohol syndrome
  • brain development
  • behavioral development
  • prenatal exposure

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

19 pages, 1507 KB  
Article
Docosahexaenoic Acid Increases the Pro-Resolving Brain Lipid Mediators of Inflammation in Rat Pups Prenatally Exposed to Alcohol
by Enrique M. Ostrea, Jr., Deepak Yadav, Charlie T. Cheng, Esther D. Kisseih, Krishna R. Maddipati and Ronald L. Thomas
Life 2025, 15(10), 1530; https://doi.org/10.3390/life15101530 - 29 Sep 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1171
Abstract
Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD/FAS) is a chronic inflammatory process of the fetal brain induced by alcohol and mediated by pro-inflammatory (PILM) and pro-resolving (PRLM) lipid mediators of inflammation. DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) is an essential precursor of PRLM. A study examining the response [...] Read more.
Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD/FAS) is a chronic inflammatory process of the fetal brain induced by alcohol and mediated by pro-inflammatory (PILM) and pro-resolving (PRLM) lipid mediators of inflammation. DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) is an essential precursor of PRLM. A study examining the response of lipid mediators of inflammation to alcohol insult and DHA supplementation can provide vital information on the pathogenesis of FASD/FAS and the potential ameliorative role of DHA. Four groups of timed pregnant rats were studied: control, low-dose (1.6 g/kg/day) and high-dose (2.4 g/kg/day) alcohol, and high-dose alcohol (2.4 g/kg/day) + DHA (1250 mg/kg/day). The pups were delivered on day 20, and their whole brain was examined for lipid mediators by liquid chromatography mass spectroscopy. The following biomarkers of brain lipid mediators were studied, namely, PILM (LTB4, PGE2, PGF2α, TXB2) and PRLM (LXA5, 4-HDoHE, 17-HDoHE, and MaR1n-3, DPA). The brain PILM and PRLM concentrations decreased significantly (p < 0.001) with high-dose alcohol. However, high-dose alcohol + DHA resulted in a significant (p < 0.001) increase in PRLM levels, viz., LXA5, MaR1n-3 DPA, 17-HDoHE, and a threefold increase in 4-HDoHE. We conclude that DHA supplementation in alcohol-exposed pregnant rats significantly increased levels of brain pro-resolving lipid mediators in the offspring, suggesting a potential role in modulating the inflammatory response. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Biological Impacts of Fetal Alcohol Exposure)
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