Details of the effect of alcohol on prenatal development
Alcohol impedes the normal development by inhibiting the production of retinoic acid. Under normal conditions, levels of retinoic acid, produced in different areas of the embryo, the cells provide the necessary information on its location and appropriate destination.
The researchers now show that the toxic effects of alcohol lead to a detoxification response which accounts for production of retinoic acid molecules. The consequence of this is a cell disorientation during a critical period of development.
Retinoic acid is necessary for the correct placement of the cells in the developing embryos, and to prevent normal use of this acid, the alcohol makes the cells go to occupy their proper positions and to ripen properly.
Researchers at the Hebrew University in Israel, found that disabling a molecule needed to produce retinoic acid, called RALDH2, increased the sensitivity of the developing embryos to low doses of alcohol. Conversely, a greater amount of the molecule RALDH2 protected the embryos from the adverse effects of alcohol. This provides evidence that alcohol “steals” RALDH2 molecules, preventing them from performing their important role in the synthesis of the indicators of position and maturation during development.