Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Stephanie M. Ford, Cameron J. Pedersen, Matthew R. Ford, Jun W. Kim, Ganga H. Karunamuni, Matthew T. McPheeters, Safdar Jawaid, Michael W. Jenkins, Andrew M. Rollins, Michiko Watanabe
Summary: Prenatal alcohol exposure can lead to abnormal cardiovascular function and morphology, but folic acid supplementation can partially alleviate these effects. Initiating folic acid supplementation early in pregnancy can prevent heart as well as neural tube defects.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSIOLOGY-HEART AND CIRCULATORY PHYSIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Neurosciences
Dandan Wang, Brian W. Howell, Eric C. Olson
Summary: The study found that alcohol exposure can induce tyrosine phosphorylation response in the fetal brain, affecting cortical development. This initial phosphorylation response activated by alcohol has the potential to disrupt multiple developmentally important signaling systems.
MOLECULAR NEUROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Family Studies
Katherine Flannigan, Aamena Kapasi, Jacqueline Pei, Isabel Murdoch, Gail Andrew, Carmen Rasmussen
Summary: Individuals with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) and prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) experience high levels of early adversity, including abandonment, caregiver disruption, and exposure to household substance use. Females have significantly higher rates of sexual abuse than males. Participants diagnosed with FASD are less likely to be raised by both biological parents or have been exposed to household mental health problems compared to those not diagnosed.
CHILD ABUSE & NEGLECT
(2021)
Review
Neurosciences
Eileen M. Moore, Yingjing Xia
Summary: Prenatal alcohol exposure can interfere with neurodevelopment and have detrimental effects on brain structure, function, cognition, behavior, and mental health. Studies have shown that individuals with PAE have atypical developmental trajectories in brain cortical and white matter microstructure during childhood and adolescence. More research is needed to investigate the role of factors such as sex and postnatal experiences, as well as the long-term developmental trajectories beyond young adulthood.
FRONTIERS IN HUMAN NEUROSCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Neurosciences
Preeti Kar, Jess E. Reynolds, William Ben Gibbard, Carly McMorris, Christina Tortorelli, Catherine Lebel
Summary: Prenatal alcohol exposure is associated with alterations in brain white matter microstructure. Children with prenatal alcohol exposure show slower white matter development in certain brain regions, which may have implications for cognitive and behavioral learning.
HUMAN BRAIN MAPPING
(2022)
Article
Obstetrics & Gynecology
Jamie O. Lo, Matthias C. Schabel, Victoria H. J. Roberts, Terry K. Morgan, Suzanne S. Fei, Lina Gao, Karina G. Ray, Katherine S. Lewandowski, Natali P. Newman, Jacqueline A. Bohn, Kathleen A. Grant, Antonio E. Frias, Christopher D. Kroenke
Summary: Early chronic prenatal alcohol exposure significantly diminished placental perfusion and decreased the oxygen supply to the fetal vasculature in nonhuman primates, along with the presence of microscopic placental infarctions.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF OBSTETRICS AND GYNECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Cell Biology
Riley T. Bottom, Olga O. Kozanian, David J. Rohac, Michael A. Erickson, Kelly J. Huffman
Summary: This study used a transgenerational mouse model to investigate the effects of prenatal ethanol exposure on offspring behavior. The results suggest that behavioral abnormalities can be passed down to multiple generations. However, the specific brain mechanisms underlying these behavioral changes remain unclear.
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Neurosciences
Marlene Stuempflen, Ernst Schwartz, Mariana C. Diogo, Sarah Glatter, Birgit Pfeiler, Patric Kienast, Athena Taymourtash, Victor U. Schmidbauer, Lisa Bartha-Doering, Elisabeth Krampl-Bettelheim, Rainer Seidl, Georg Langs, Daniela Prayer, Gregor Kasprian
Summary: Prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) can alter the normal trajectory of fetal brain development and result in lasting neurodevelopmental changes. This study used super-resolution fetal MRI to investigate the regional effects of PAE on human brain structure. The results showed that even minor PAE can significantly impact the neurodevelopmental trajectory.
Review
Oncology
Mitchell Bestry, Martyn Symons, Alexander Larcombe, Evelyne Muggli, Jeffrey M. Craig, Delyse Hutchinson, Jane Halliday, David Martino
Summary: The evidence regarding the association between prenatal alcohol exposure and offspring DNA methylation is inconclusive. There is insufficient evidence to support global disruption of DNA methylation from prenatal alcohol exposure. Limited evidence suggests hypomethylation at IGF2/H19 regions within somatic tissues. Methylome-wide association studies (MWAS) investigating the effects of prenatal alcohol exposure on offspring DNA methylation show inconsistent results. Further research is needed, especially in populations with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD), to establish reproducible associations.
CLINICAL EPIGENETICS
(2022)
Review
Neurosciences
Barbara Carpita, Lavinia Migli, Ilaria Chiarantini, Simone Battaglini, Clara Montalbano, Claudia Carmassi, Ivan Mirko Cremone, Liliana Dell'Osso
Summary: This review summarizes the research on the association between fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD), focusing on the clinical overlaps and shared pathogenic mechanisms. The findings highlight the similarities and differences between the two disorders and emphasize the need to improve diagnosis, particularly in milder presentations and sub-syndromic traits.
Review
Biology
Liang Liu, Yinxian Wen, Qubo Ni, Liaobin Chen, Hui Wang
Summary: Prenatal ethanol exposure can lead to fetal developmental damage and increased susceptibility to chronic diseases in adults. Ethanol affects fetal development through direct and indirect effects mediated by glucocorticoids. It alters epigenetic modifications and programming of neuroendocrine axes. Differences in ethanol metabolic enzymes and sensitivity to glucocorticoids may contribute to severity and sex differences. Offspring exposed to ethanol during pregnancy show catch-up growth with abundant nutrition after birth but are more likely to develop diseases in adverse environments.
BIOLOGICAL RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Obstetrics & Gynecology
Dana Ronen, Yehuda Senecky, Gabriel Chodick, Esther Ganelin-Cohen
Summary: This study aimed to assess the external validity of the Neurobehavioral Screening Tool (NST) and identify additional characteristics of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) in a cohort of Israeli children and young adults. The NST demonstrated a sensitivity of 72%-73% and specificity of 34%-36% in identifying FASD. Other characteristics of the FASD group included emotional regulation difficulties, being born and adopted in Israel, and younger age at the first clinic visit.
EARLY HUMAN DEVELOPMENT
(2022)
Article
Pediatrics
Misty Pruner, Tracy Jirikowic, Carolyn Baylor, Susan Astley Hemingway
Summary: Caregiver-reported assessments allow caregivers to share their concerns and identify strengths in infants/toddlers with prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE). This study examined the type and frequency of caregiver-reported concerns and strengths in a sample of infants/toddlers undergoing fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) diagnostic evaluation. Numerous concerns and strengths were identified across multiple categories, with the most common concerns related to aggressive behavior, language/communication, and sensory processing. The most frequently reported strengths were happiness, sociability, and love. These findings highlight the importance of caregiver perspectives and the need to recognize and address both challenges and strengths in PAE-affected infants/toddlers.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Amy N. Costa, Bradley J. Ferguson, Emily Hawkins, Adriana Coman, Joseph Schauer, Alex Ramirez-Celis, Patrick M. Hecht, Danielle Bruce, Michael Tilley, Zohreh Talebizadeh, Judy van de Water, David Q. Beversdorf
Summary: This study investigates the relationship between prenatal stress and maternal antibody response and the diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in children. The study found that although there were high incidences of prenatal stress and maternal antibodies in the sample, they were not associated with each other. The results suggest that prenatal stress and immune dysregulation are independently associated with a diagnosis of ASD, rather than acting through a convergent mechanism. However, further research with a larger sample is needed to confirm these findings.
Article
Cell Biology
Shama Bhatia, David Bodenstein, Ashley P. Cheng, Peter G. Wells
Summary: Oxoguanine glycosylase 1 (OGG1) plays a critical role in repairing DNA damage and has recently been found to be involved in epigenetic regulation. This study shows that prenatal exposure to ethanol can lead to changes in global histone modifications, DNA methylation, and gene expression in fetal brains, particularly in OGG1-deficient progeny. These changes are associated with behavioral alterations and suggest that epigenetic mechanisms mediated by OGG1 are involved in developmental disorders. Further investigation is needed to understand the causal relationship between oxidative DNA damage, epigenetic changes, and neurodevelopmental disorders mediated by reactive oxygen species (ROS).
Article
Cell Biology
Simone C. da Silva Rosa, Matthew D. Martens, Jared T. Field, Lucas Nguyen, Stephanie M. Kereliuk, Yan Hai, Donald Chapman, William Diehl-Jones, Michel Aliani, Adrian R. West, James Thliveris, Saeid Ghavami, Christof Rampitsch, Vernon W. Dolinsky, Joseph W. Gordon
Summary: Lipotoxicity causes cellular stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, and insulin resistance; a high-fat diet leads to reduced expression of autophagy-related genes and altered fatty acyl composition; BNIP3L-induced mitophagy and impaired glucose uptake can be reversed by direct phosphorylation of BNIP3L by PRKA/PKA.
Article
Neurosciences
Shoug Alashmali, Chelsey Walchuk, Chris Cadonic, Benedict C. Albensi, Michel Aliani, Miyoung Suh
Summary: Choline supplementation during gestation has benefits for spatial memory but minor contributions to retina function. Larger sample size studies are needed to confirm the essentiality of choline for retina development.
NUTRITIONAL NEUROSCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Erin Goldberg, Shiva Ievari-Shariati, Biniam Kidane, Julian Kim, Shantanu Banerji, Gefei Qing, Sadeesh Srinathan, Leigh Murphy, Michel Aliani
Summary: Metabolomics analysis was conducted on blood samples from 42 patients undergoing surgery for suspected lung cancer, revealing the impact of collection tube, sex, and blood location on 96 metabolites. It is recommended to collect replicate blood samples in different types of collection tubes for a broader analysis of the metabolome. Several metabolites were found at higher concentrations in cancer patients, which could potentially be used for early detection and monitoring of the disease.
Article
Nutrition & Dietetics
Le Wang, Erin M. Goldberg, Carla G. Taylor, Peter Zahradka, Michel Aliani
Summary: In this study, a metabolomics approach was used to investigate the impact of consuming bean-rich diets on individuals with PAD. The results showed significant changes in the metabolomic profile, particularly in the levels of prostaglandins and glutathione. The study also revealed potential diet-drug interactions, as the consumption of beans modified the metabolism of metoprolol and metformin.
APPLIED PHYSIOLOGY NUTRITION AND METABOLISM
(2022)
Article
Food Science & Technology
Chelsey Walchuk, James D. House, Michel Aliani, Miyoung Suh
Summary: The study aimed to investigate the effects of consuming lutein and DHA enriched eggs on visual function in older adults at risk of age-related eye disease. The results showed that daily consumption of these enriched eggs significantly improved retinal function and increased plasma DHA levels. Plasma lipids and lipoprotein subfractions remained unchanged, except for an increase in large HDL particles and a decrease in intermediate sized HDL particles.
JOURNAL OF FUNCTIONAL FOODS
(2022)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Arun Surendran, Negar Atefi, Hannah Zhang, Michel Aliani, Amir Ravandi
Summary: Metabolomics as an emerging platform technology offers new insights into the pathomechanisms of complex diseases like cardiovascular diseases, and holds immense potential for biomarker discovery and understanding disease progression. In the context of ACS, metabolomics studies have identified metabolomic signatures associated with disease progression, providing valuable mechanistic insights and potential biomarkers.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Glen Lester Sequiera, Abhay Srivastava, Niketa Sareen, Weiang Yan, Keshav Narayan Alagarsamy, Elika Verma, Mohamad Reza Aghanoori, Michel Aliani, Ashok Kumar, Paul Fernyhough, Cheryl Rockman-Greenberg, Sanjiv Dhingra
Summary: This study reports the use of an iPSC-based platform to assess drug efficacy and validate personalized treatments for a patient with an ultrarare disease. The results demonstrate the potential of this platform in aiding decision-making for future clinical trials.
Article
Oncology
Naseer Ahmed, Biniam Kidane, Le Wang, Zoann Nugent, Nataliya Moldovan, April McElrea, Shiva Shariati-Ievari, Gefei Qing, Lawrence Tan, Gordon Buduhan, Sadeesh K. Srinathan, Renelle Meyers, Michel Aliani
Summary: In this pilot study, metabolic alterations in sputum and breath condensate of early-stage lung cancer patients before and after surgery were analyzed. The results suggest that these metabolic changes could serve as noninvasive diagnostic tools for early detection of lung cancer and potential targets for treatment response and drug discovery.
FRONTIERS IN ONCOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Food Science & Technology
Ronak Fahmi, Heather Blewett, Jo-Ann Stebbing, Nancy Olson, Donna Ryland, Michel Aliani
Summary: This study found that fortifying white pan bread with split yellow pea flour can improve postprandial glucose response and increase satiety. The heat processing of pea flour did not significantly affect the postprandial effects. The addition of pea flour can enhance fullness and reduce hunger, desire to eat, and prospective food consumption ratings without affecting the overall acceptability of the bread.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Danielle Defries, Kayla Curtis, Jay C. Petkau, Shiva Shariati-Ievari, Heather Blewett, Michel Aliani
Summary: After treatment with ALA, the incorporation of ALA into phospholipids is selective, with certain molecular species of phospholipids increasing almost immediately while others only increasing after several hours.
JOURNAL OF NUTRITIONAL BIOCHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Oncology
Julian O. Kim, Robert Balshaw, Connel Trevena, Shantanu Banerji, Leigh Murphy, David Dawe, Lawrence Tan, Sadeesh Srinathan, Gordon Buduhan, Biniam Kidane, Gefei Qing, Michael Domaratzki, Michel Aliani
Summary: This study explored the potential of metabolomics for biofluid-based lung cancer detection. Plasma samples from early-stage non-small cell lung cancer (ES-NSCLC) cases and cancer-free controls (CFC) were analyzed using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography/quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry. The study identified clusters of metabolites that effectively classified cases from controls and identified several metabolites of interest for further analysis. Plasma-based metabolomics shows promise for the noninvasive detection of early-stage NSCLC, with further research needed to develop targeted detection methods.
CANCER & METABOLISM
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Pankaj Bhowmik, Wei Yan, Connor Hodgins, Brittany Polley, Tom Warkentin, Michael Nickerson, Dae-Kyun Ro, Frederic Marsolais, Claire Domoney, Shiva Shariati-Ievari, Michel Aliani
Summary: Although pulses are nutritious, their consumption and use in the food industry have been limited due to the formation of unappealing flavors/aromas. This study focused on the role of lipoxygenase (LOX) enzymes in pulse seeds, which can lead to the formation of specific volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The results demonstrate the potential of CRISPR-mediated gene editing to improve the aroma and fatty acid profiles of pulse seeds.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Food Science & Technology
Taryn Bailey, Adam J. Franczyk, Erin M. Goldberg, James D. House
Summary: The study evaluated the protein quality of cooked Russet potatoes, finding that cooking methods significantly improved the protein digestibility and quality compared to raw potatoes. Protein digestibility-corrected amino acid score (PDCAAS) values range from 0.27 (raw) to 0.57 (boiled), comparable to other plant-based protein sources like grains, nuts, and pulses. In vitro PDCAAS values followed similar trends, providing valuable data for defining the quality of total protein consumed in the North American diet.
FOOD SCIENCE & NUTRITION
(2023)
Meeting Abstract
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Arun Surendran, Umar Ismail, Negar Atefi, Ashim Bagchi, Pawan Singal, Ashish H. Shah, Michel Aliani, Amir Ravandi
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN COLLEGE OF CARDIOLOGY
(2022)
