Prenatal Alcohol Exposure Contributes to Negative Pregnancy Outcomes by Altering Fetal Vascular Dynamics and Placental Transcriptome

Prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) has previously been shown to alter fetal blood flow in utero and is also associated with placental insufficiency and intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR), suggesting an underlying connection between perturbed circulation and pregnancy outcomes. Here we show that a single exposure to ethanol in pregnant mice on gestational day 10 (GD10) by gavage attenuates umbilical cord blood flow transiently during gestation, explaining the observed IUGR, specifically decreased fetal weight, and morphometric indices of cranial growth. Moreover, RNAseq of the fetal portion of the placenta demonstrated that this single exposure has lasting transcriptomic changes, including upregulation of Tet3, which is associated with spontaneous abortion. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) identified erythrocyte differentiation and homeostasis as important pathways associated with improved umbilical cord blood flow as gestation progresses. WGCNA also identified sensory perception of chemical stimulus/odorant and receptor activity as important pathways associated with cranial growth. Our data suggest that PAE perturbs the expression of placental genes relevant for placental hematopoiesis and environmental sensing, resulting in transient impairment of umbilical cord blood flow and subsequently, IUGR. Overall design: There were a total of 22 samples, 12 control and 10 PAE, 11 male and 11 female.