# miR-150-5p Disrupts Vascular Development in the Brain during Prenatal Alcohol Exposure

> **NIH NIH F31** · UNIVERSITY OF NEW MEXICO HEALTH SCIS CTR · 2021 · $30,571

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
Alcohol consumption during pregnancy may result in fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD), with fetal alcohol
syndrome (FAS) being the most severe form and manifesting with facial abnormalities. Less severe forms of
FASD are associated with a wide range of neurocognitive deficits and are difficult to diagnose in the absence of
facial characteristics. Prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) produces systemic impacts on the developing fetus, but
most studies have been conducted on neuronal-specific changes in the brain and their contribution to PAE-
associated neurodevelopmental disorders. Very few PAE studies have explored alcohol-elicited alterations to
the vasculature of the brain during development. microRNA-mediated mechanisms that result in alterations to
the brain vasculature during PAE are unknown. Our preliminary studies indicate that miR-150-5p is upregulated
in brain microvascular endothelial cells (BMVECs) during PAE. This results in a decrease in its regulatory targets,
including vascular endothelial zinc finger 1 (Vezf1), a novel target we have identified, which is a critical regulator
of vascular development. We have also tested the effects of miR-150-5p on endothelial cell function. We have
used migration, tube formation, and permeability assays as a way to analyze angiogenesis and blood brain
barrier integrity in vitro. Preliminary data indicated that overexpressing miR-150-5p decreased migration and
tube formation, and it increased BMVEC permeability, while miR-150-5p inhibition did the opposite. Additionally,
treating cells with alcohol resulted in an increase in miR-150-5p expression which also resulted in decreased
migration and tube formation. Our preliminary studies underscore the importance of miR-150-5p on regulating
endothelial cell behavior and the adverse effects alcohol has on endothelial cell function. Since microRNAs post-
transcriptionally regulate many different mRNA targets, we hypothesized that miR-150-5p is inhibiting vascular
targets to adversely affect vascular morphology and function in the cortex during PAE. The following aims will
be investigated to test this hypothesis: 1) Identify targets that are inhibited by miR-150-5p in primary BMVECs
during prenatal alcohol exposure, 2) Determine the effects of miR-150-5p inhibition and/or target overexpression
on primary BMVECs from prenatal alcohol exposed embryos, and 3) Examine the in vivo effects of miR-150-5p
inhibition and/or target interference on the developing cortical vasculature during PAE. Successful completion of
the aims integrated in this project will provide a better understanding of vascular contributions in the pathology
of PAE. In addition, support from the Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award Individual Predoctoral
Fellowship to Promote Diversity in Health-Related Research will contribute significantly to my career trajectory
towards independent research.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10312695
- **Project number:** 1F31AA029597-01
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF NEW MEXICO HEALTH SCIS CTR
- **Principal Investigator:** Gabriela Perales
- **Activity code:** F31 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $30,571
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2021-08-01 → 2022-04-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10312695

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10312695, miR-150-5p Disrupts Vascular Development in the Brain during Prenatal Alcohol Exposure (1F31AA029597-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10312695. Licensed CC0.

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