Figure 9.

Reductions in FB-E SERT and BDNF levels correlate with reductions in eye diameter in fetuses exposed to EtOH + SSRIs. Eye diameters were measured in histological sections of human fetuses that had been exposed to both EtOH and SSRI. FB-E SERT and BDNF levels were measured by ELISA. Each of five EtOH + SSRI-exposed fetal eyes from 1st- and 2nd-trimester pregnancies was paired with a GA- and sex-matched unexposed control. Their matching maternal blood samples were obtained at the time of voluntary pregnancy termination. Assays were performed in triplicate on contents of FB-Es isolated from the maternal blood. Correlation between reduction in eye size (difference between EtOH- or SSRI-exposed fetus and its paired control) and reduction in exosomal SERT (A,B) and BDNF (C,D) levels is presented as scatter plots. Data in (B,D) are presented in %. Calculations are based on Spearman’s correlation on exact two-tailed probabilities critical and p-values for N > 2 <= 18.