The effects of ethanol on the physical development and maturation of the CNS in the offspring of lactating rats were investigated. Dams were fed: 1) regular stock diet (control), 2) liquid diet containing 35% of the calories as ethanol (ETOH) or 3) liquid diet with maltose-dextrin substituted for the calories supplied by ethanol (isoenergetic = IE). Diets were administered from the 14th day of gestation until 3 weeks post-partum (pre- and post-natal exposure) or from birth until 3 weeks post-partum (post-natal exposure). Body weight, crown-rump length and tail length, as well as brain weight were followed longitudinally in the pups. The growth in the pups of dams fed ETOH diet and those fed IE diet were significantly less than that observed in the pups of control dams. Furthermore, pups of dams fed the ETOH diet showed retardation in growth indices and brain weight at various ages when compared to pups of equivalent age from dams fed the IE diet. Therefore, administration of ethanol to pregnant or lactating dams impaired the physical growth, including central nervous systems (CNS), of their offspring more than those changes caused by nitritional deprivation.

Abbreviations used: ETOH pups, Offspring of dams fed a diet containing ethanol; IC pups, Offspring of dams fed a diet isocaloric to the diet containing ethanol 702 -705. 204, 1 -10. 3 50 -36 1 . 999 -1009.

—Analysis of lipids and proteins in whole optic nerves during initial stages of myelination indicate a sequential deposition of myelin components. During this period sulfatide levels increase from 4 nmol/pair of nerves at 9 days to 29 nmol/pair of nerves at 21 days. Cerebrosides are not detected until the 12th day and attain a level of 46 nmol/pair of nerves in the 21‐day old rat. Plasma‐logen values increase from 2.1 to 31 nmol/pair of nerves and cholesterol values from 12 to 158 nmol/pair of nerves between 9 and 21 days. High molecular weight proteins are present in samples from 9‐day old rats analyzed by discontinuous sodium dodecyl sulphate‐polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Under identical conditions myelin basic proteins are first observed in the 10 day sample, and the proteolipid protein is first detected in the 12 day sample. The 2′, 3′‐cyclic nucleotide 3′‐phosphohydrolase activity increases from 1.13 to 5.50 μmol/min per mg protein between 9 and 21 days.

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