Cholesterol Could Be Key To Treating Fetal Alcohol Syndrome

According to a new study in laboratory fish, added cholesterol may help prevent a wide array of physical defects from alcohol exposure. Researchers at Duke University Medical Center found that alcohol blocks the ability of cholesterol to orchestrate the complex series of events in regulation cell fates and organ development in the embryo. Researchers also found that giving supplemental cholesterol to zebrafish embryos exposed to alcohol restored normal development. The findings suggest that giving alcoholics supplemental cholesterol could help slow down or prevent the occurrence of alcoholic liver disease. I found this article interesting because it gives hope to the prevention of defects in infants born to alcoholic mothers.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/03/070308220529.htm