Although it is well documented that heavy consumption of alcohol during pregnancy impairs brain development, it remains controversial whether moderate consumption causes significant damage. Using a limited access, voluntary consumption paradigm, we recently demonstrated that moderate prenatal alcohol exposure (MPAE) is associated with dentate gyrus-dependent learning and memory deficits that are manifested in adulthood. Here, we identified a novel mechanism that may underlie this effect of MPAE. We found that MPAE mice exhibit deficits in N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor (NMDAR)-dependent long-term potentiation (LTP) in the dentate gyrus. Further, using semi-quantitative immunoblotting techniques, we found that the levels of GluN2B subunits were decreased in the synaptic membrane, while levels of C2’-containing GluN1 and GluN3A subunits were increased, in the dentate gyrus of MPAE mice. These data suggest that MPAE alters the subunit composition of synaptic NMDARs, leading to impaired NMDAR-dependent LTP in the dentate gyrus.

The functional implications of transient receptor potential melastatin 3 (TRPM3) activation, the most recently described member of the melastatin subfamily of cation permeable TRP channels, have begun to be elucidated in recent years. The discovery of TRPM3 activation by the steroid pregnenolone sulfate (PregS) has shed new light on the physiological role of this channel. For example, TRPM3 activation enhances insulin secretion from β pancreatic cells, induces contraction of vascular smooth muscle, and is also involved in the detection of noxious heat. Although TRPM3 expression has been detected in several regions of the developing and mature brain, little is known about the roles of TRPM3 in brain physiology. Here, we demonstrate the abundant expression of TRPM3 steroid-sensitive channels in the developing cerebellar cortex. We also show that TRPM3-like channels are expressed at glutamatergic synapses in neonatal Purkinje cells (PCs). We recently showed that PregS potentiates spontaneous glutamate release onto neonatal PCs during a period of active glutamatergic synapse formation; we now show that this effect of PregS is mediated by TRPM3-like channels. Mefenamic acid, a recently discovered TRPM3 antagonist, blocked the effect of PregS on glutamate release. The PregS effect on glutamate release was mimicked by other TRPM3 agonists (nifedipine and epipregnanolone sulfate) but not by a TRMP3-inactive steroid (progesterone). Our findings identify TRPM3 channels as novel modulators of glutamatergic transmission in the developing brain.

Exposure to ethanol (EtOH) during fetal development can lead to long-lasting alterations, including deficits in fine motor skills and motor learning. Studies suggest that these are, in part, a consequence of cerebellar damage. Cerebellar granule neurons (CGNs) are the gateway of information into the cerebellar cortex. Functionally, CGNs are heavily regulated by phasic and tonic GABAergic inhibition from Golgi cell interneurons; however, the effect of EtOH exposure on the development of GABAergic transmission in immature CGNs has not been investigated. To model EtOH exposure during the 3rd trimester-equivalent of human pregnancy, neonatal pups were exposed intermittently to high levels of vaporized EtOH from postnatal day (P) 2 to P12. This exposure gradually increased pup serum EtOH concentrations (SECs) to ~60 mM (~0.28 g/dl) during the 4 hours of exposure. EtOH levels gradually decreased to baseline 8 hrs after the end of exposure. Surprisingly, basal tonic and phasic GABAergic currents in CGNs were not significantly affected by postnatal alcohol exposure (PAE). However, PAE increased the expression of δ subunit expression at P28 as detected by immunohistochemical and western blot analyses. Also, electrophysiological studies with an agonist that is highly selective for δ-containing GABAA receptors, 4,5,6,7-tetrahydroisoxazolo[4,5-c]pyridine-3-ol (THIP), showed an increase in THIP-induced tonic current. Behavioral studies of PAE rats did not reveal any deficits in motor coordination, except for a delay in the acquisition of the mid-air righting reflex that was apparent at P15 to P18. These findings demonstrate that repeated intermittent exposure to high levels of EtOH during the equivalent of the last trimester of human pregnancy has significant but relatively subtle effects on motor coordination and GABAergic transmission in CGNs in rats.

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