Investigating the Impact of Chronical Prenatal Alcohol Exposure on Fetal Vascular Development Across Pregnancy Stages Using Photoacoustic Tomography

Prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) is a major contributor to fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD), resulting in neurodevelopmental abnormalities. This study utilizes photoacoustic tomography (PAT) to investigate the effects of PAE on fetal brain vasculature in mice. PAT imaging was conducted from embryonic Day 10 (E10) to Day 20 (E20), aimed to compare two alcohol-exposed groups with a control group. Key vascular parameters, including blood vessel diameter and density, and oxygen saturation (sO₂), were analyzed. Results show significant reductions in vessel size and density, as well as reduced sO₂ levels, in alcohol-exposed groups, especially from E14 onward, compared to controls. These findings underscore the vulnerability of the fetal brain to alcohol exposure during early development and highlight the potential of PAT as a valuable tool for investigating FASD-related vascular changes.