Molecular consequences of fetal alcohol exposure on amniotic exosomal miRNAs with functional implications for stem cell potency and differentiation

Alcohol (ethanol, EtOH) consumption during pregnancy can result in fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs), which are characterized by prenatal and postnatal growth restriction and craniofacial dysmorphology. The specific mechanisms by which alcohol mediates these injuries have yet to be determined. Cell-derived extracellular vesicles, including exosomes and microvesicles containing several species of RNAs (exRNAs), have recently emerged as a mechanism of cell-to-cell communication. However, EtOH’s effects on the biogenesis and function of non-coding exRNAs during fetal development have not been explored. Therefore, we studied the effects of maternal EtOH exposure on the composition of exRNAs in the amniotic fluid (AF) using a rat fetal alcohol exposure (FAE) model. Timed pregnant Sprague Dawley rats received 0 or 2.5 g/kg of 20% EtOH by oral gavage on embryonic days 5, 8, 10, 12 and 15. Through RNA-Seq analysis we identified and verified AF exosomal miRNAs with differential expression levels specifically associated with maternal EtOH exposure. RNA-seq analysis of amniotic exosomal miRNAs from rat fetal alcohol exposure model