No abstract

The effect of the consumption of ethanol (5%) on retinol concentration in milk was studied in the rat on day 12 after delivery, together with the evolution of dam body weight and pup growth rate. Female Wistar rats receiving alcohol (5%) in drinking water during lactation (N = 7) were compared to normal controls fed ad libitum (N = 6). The mean maternal alcohol intake was 3.96 ± 0.23 g/kg body weight per day. To determine retinol levels in milk we used the Bessey and Lowry method, modified by Araújo and Flores ((1978) Clinical Chemistry, 24: 386-392). The pups were separated from dams for a 2-4-h period, after which the dams were injected intraperitoneally with anesthetic and oxytocin. The concentration of retinol in milk was 162.88 ± 10.60 µg/dl in the control group and 60.02 ± 8.22 µg/dl in the ethanol group (P<0.05). The ethanol group consumed less food than the controls and lost a significant amount of weight during lactation. On days 8, 10 and 12, the body weight of the pups from rats given ethanol (13.46 ± 0.43, 16.12 ± 0.48 and 18.60 ± 0.91 g, respectively) were significantly lower (P<0.05) than the weight of pups from controls (15.2 ± 0.44, 18.36 ± 0.54, 20.77 ± 0.81 g). These data show that ethanol intake during the suckling period, even at low concentrations, decreases the amount of retinol in milk and, therefore, the amount available to the pups.

No abstract

With the objective of evaluating intraplacental vitamin A distribution, 234 placental samples were collected, corresponding to six samples from each of the placentas analyzed: two from the lateral maternal portion, one from the central maternal portion, two from the lateral fetal portion, and one from the central fetal portion. Samples were obtained from 39 adult puerperal mothers with low-risk pregnancies, without vitamin A deficiency or night blindness. Retinol content determination was achieved through spectrophotometry. Retinol values obtained for each region were correlated with the most probable value for each placenta (P < 0.001). Despite differences in retinol content between samples, statistical data analysis showed that intra-tissue variation had no influence on the conversion of data into information. Consequently, any portion of the placenta may be used for retinol level determination purposes, due to the correlation between all portions and the most probable value. The findings of the present study represent an advance for surveys intending to incorporate the collection and dosage of placental vitamin A levels into their analyses, thus increasing the arsenal of pre-pathological or subclinical vitamin A deficiency markers, which can allow for earlier intervention on the maternal-infant group.