Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42297208›Full record

ArticleNeuropharmacology2026

Third trimester-equivalent alcohol exposure reduces neurons in males and increases Vglut2

Katalina M Lopez, Hyemin Choi, Adeline Feng, Lourdes Cazares, Javier Kelly Roman, Glenna J Chavez, Melissa Molina Garcia, Julian Jaramillo, C Fernando Valenzuela

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Neuropharmacology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Katalina M LopezDepartment of Neurosciences, School of Medicine, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM, USA.
Hyemin ChoiDepartment of Neurosciences, School of Medicine, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM, USA.
Adeline FengDepartment of Neurosciences, School of Medicine, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM, USA.
Lourdes CazaresDepartment of Neurosciences, School of Medicine, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM, USA.
Javier Kelly RomanDepartment of Neurosciences, School of Medicine, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM, USA.
Glenna J ChavezDepartment of Neurosciences, School of Medicine, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM, USA.
Melissa Molina GarciaDepartment of Neurosciences, School of Medicine, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM, USA.
Julian JaramilloDepartment of Neurosciences, School of Medicine, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM, USA.
C Fernando ValenzuelaDepartment of Neurosciences, School of Medicine, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM, USA. Electronic address: fvalenzuela@salud.unm.edu.

Funding

Understanding neurophysiological deficits in response inhibition in children with FASDP50AA022534 · NIAAA · UNIVERSITY OF NEW MEXICO HEALTH SCIS CTR · PI Carlos Fernando Valenzuela · 2014 to 2026
$21.5M
Alcohol and Developing Neuronal CircuitsR01AA015614 · NIAAA · UNIVERSITY OF NEW MEXICO HEALTH SCIS CTR · PI Carlos Fernando Valenzuela · 2005 to 2026
$3.9M
Alcohol Research Training in NeurosciencesT32AA014127 · NIAAA · UNIVERSITY OF NEW MEXICO HEALTH SCIS CTR · PI Jonathan L Brigman · 2003 to 2026
$3.3M
NIAAA NIH HHS P50 AA022534NIAAA NIH HHS R01 AA015614NIAAA NIH HHS T32 AA014127
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Individuals with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASDs) show reduced subicular volume, and preclinical studies complement this by demonstrating that third-trimester-equivalent ethanol exposure induces apoptosis in corticolimbic regions, including the subiculum. The subiculum mediates hippocampal-cortical communication critical for long-term memory consolidation. Within the distal dorsal subiculum, a population of bursting neurons uniquely expresses VGLUT2 and plays a key role in memory processing. We hypothesized that third-trimester-equivalent ethanol exposure would reduce neuronal and VGLUT2+ cell density in the dorsal subiculum and reduce the excitability of bursting neurons, providing a mechanism for long-term memory impairments observed in FASD. To test this, postnatal day (P) 7 mice received subcutaneous injections of ethanol, and long-term effects were assessed in adolescence (P35-62). Using transgenic mice with fluorescently labeled VGLUT2+ neurons and immunohistochemistry, we observed a significant reduction in neuronal density in males and an increase in VGLUT2+ cell density in females. Using whole-cell patch-clamp electrophysiology, we observed a reduction in the number of action potentials per burst in both sexes. Additionally, females showed reduced overall excitability, and a subset of neurons exhibited a shift to regular spiking. These findings suggest that developmental ethanol exposure disrupts subicular output by impairing burst firing, potentially weakening hippocampal-cortical communication and contributing to the cognitive deficits associated with FASD.

Indexed as

Central Nervous System DepressantsEthanolHippocampusNeuronsSex CharacteristicsVesicular Glutamate Transport Protein 2Action PotentialsAnimalsFemaleMaleMiceMice, Inbred C57BLMice, TransgenicPatch-Clamp TechniquesPregnancyPrenatal Exposure Delayed EffectsCentral Nervous System DepressantsEthanolSlc17a6 protein, mouseVesicular Glutamate Transport Protein 2DevelopmentElectrophysiologyEthanolFetalGlutamateHippocampusSubiculum

Identifiers

PMID42297208
PMCPMC13356955

What Socratic holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.