Cholesterol Potential Link to Treating FAS
Alcohol Blocks Ability of Cholesterol to Regulate Organ Development
May 22, 2009
Small amounts of alcohol can interfere with the growth of a fetus, but added cholesterol may help prevent a wide array of neurological and physical defects from alcohol exposure, according to a new study in laboratory fish.
Researchers at Duke University Medical Center, led by Yin-Xiong Li, MD., Ph.D., found that alcohol, even in small amounts, blocks the ability of cholesterol to orchestrate the complex series of events involved in regulating cell fates and organ development in the embryo. Encouragingly, the researchers also found that giving supplemental cholesterol to zebra fish embryos exposed to alcohol restored normal development.
Prenatal Exposure to Alcohol is a Leading Cause of Preventable Birth Defects
Prenatal exposure to alcohol is a leading cause of preventable birth defects and along with Spina Bifida and Down Syndrome, one of the top three known causes of developmental delay in children in Canada. Damage varies due to volume ingested, timing during pregnancy, peak blood alcohol levels, genetics and environmental factors. The syndrome can also lead to growth retardation, facial abnormalities and lowered mental functioning. Increased amounts of alcohol exposure to the fetus increase the severity of the syndrome. Without intervention, many individuals with FAS ride the justice system merry-go-round or become homeless street people.
Alcohol interferes with the precisely orchestrated biochemical signaling pathway that guides fetal development. Cholesterol is essential for a single pathway that governs the pattern of tissue development and it is vulnerable to the effects of alcohol (Yin-Xiong Li).
Alcohol is toxic at all concentrations. Alcohol consumed by a mother with a one-month-old fetus could alter the development of the brain; at four to eight weeks, facial structures, heart and eyesight could be affected. Two to three months into fetal development, alcohol consumption could lead to the growth of extra digits.
Supplemental Cholesterol Could Help Slow Down the Occurrence of Alcoholic Liver Disease
Giving alcoholics supplemental cholesterol could help slow down or prevent the occurrence of alcoholic liver disease, even chronic alcoholic induced cirrhosis, characterized by replacement of liver tissue by scar tissue, leading to progressive loss of liver function (Yin-Xiong Li).
Although FAS remains a significant challenge for health care providers, this study into FASD pathogenesis may suggest novel strategies for preventing these common congenital defects. In the end, a neurologically injured individual is unable to meet the expectations of parents, family, peers and school and can endure a lifetime of failures. Often the neurological damage goes undiagnosed, but never unpunished. Remember, FAS is a lifetime condition.
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