Investigation of Phospholipids in Ethanol Affected Prenatal Mouse Brain Using DESI-MS Imaging

The prevalence of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) is increasing exponentially due to the in-cognizant consumption of alcohol during early pregnancy. This research primarily focuses on monitoring the variation of phospholipid distribution in various regions of the brain using DESI-MS imaging. FASD mouse models were used in this study in which alcohol was administered to the pregnant mice during first trimester and 30 day old offsprings were chosen for the analysis. Principal component analysis was performed on six samples that illustrated enhanced level of PC(16:0/16:0), PC (16:0/18:1) throughout the brain; while the level of PE(P-16:0/22:6), PS(18:0/18:1), PS(18:0/20:0), PS(18:0/22:6), PI(18:0/20:4) and ST(24:1) increased specifically in the white matter of the brain in response to alcohol consumption. Conversely, alcohol reduced the level of PC(16:0/18:1), PE(P-18:0/22:6) and PC(18:0/18:1) exclusively in white matter of the brain. The changes noted in various phospholipids lay strong foundation for understanding alcohol mediated biochemistry in fetal brain development.