Effect of Ethanol on the Growth and on the Liver and Brain Mitochondrial Functions of the Offspring of Rats

Is Moderate Ethanol Consumption Teratogenic in the Rat?

“…dark-light cycle, at a temperature of 19-21' and a relative humidity of 40-60%. Based on the reports of Abel 1974 andPilstram &Kiessling 1967 we carried out experiments in which ethanol was given for three different periods. The experimental regimens consisted of A, ethanol given during the last 3-4 weeks before mating and during pregnancy (experiment 1-3 and 6), B, only during suckling (experiment 4) and C, before and during pregnancy as well as in the suckling period (experiment 5).…”

“…Both before and particularly after the reappearance (Green 1974;Warner & Rosett 1975) of reports on malformed children born of alcoholic mothers (Ferriea et al 1973;Jones et al 1973;Palmer et al 1974) much effort has been made to reproduce adverse effects of ethanol on offspring of various experimental animals, by means of different feeding regimens and experimental procedures (Papara-Nicholson & Telford 1957;Pilstr#m & Kiessling 1967;Kahn 1968;Branchey & Friedhoff 1973;Collard & Chen 1973;Abel 1974;Malakhovskij & Prozorovskij 1975;Schwetz et al 1975;Tze & Lee 1975;Rawat 1975;1976 a;1976 b; Kronick 1976;Yanai & Ginsburg 1976;Chernoff 1977;Henderson & Schenker 1977;Thadani et al 1977). The outcome, however, has been almost as diverse as the methods applied, varying from a slight influence on the offspring and the conclusion that ethanol is not a teratogenic agent (Schwetz et al 1975) to the Occurrence of gross malformations leading to the conclusion that ethanol is a potent teratogen (Chernoff 1977).…”

“…It has been well documented that ethanol can cross the placenta readily (Waltman & Iniques 1972;Mann et al 1975) and thus exert a possible effect on the foetus. Reports on ethanol administration during suckling, ( P i l s t r~m & Kiessling 1967;Abel 1974) have indicated that this could also influence the offspring, probably by starvation of the pups due to alcohol inhibition of the milk ejecting reflex (Fuchs 1969;Waltmann-& Iniques 1972;Cob0 1973). Thus we decided to study the whole possible injurious potential of ethanol and administered alcohol by three different regimens: prior to and during pregnancy, after delivery only, and in all the periods mentioned.…”

The Role Of Zinc Deficiency In Fetal Alcohol Syndrome

“…Body and limb anomalies (Jones and Smith, 19 73;Qazi and Masakama, 1976;Lowry, 1977;Abel, 1979 Central nervous system and behavioral abnormalities (Rowell and Chalmers, 1970;Root et al, 1975;Streissguth, 1976;Hanson and Jones, 1977;Lowry, 1977;Hanson, 1978) impaired learning ability (moderate mental retar Support for this was found by Pilstrom and Kiessling (1967) who noted that all rat offspring whose mothers had received a 15% alcohol solution orally died of starvation by postnatal…”