Effect of Maternal Phenobarbital Consumption on Muscle Development in Mice

Abstract

The effect of prenatal exposure to phenobarbital on muscle development was determined in 4 muscles (biceps brachii, triceps brachii, soleus and cranial tibial) of 34 mice (16 males, 18 females) at 12 weeks of age. The control group received unadulterated food ad libitum throughout the period of study. The phenobarbital-exposed group received 3 g of phenobarbital per kilogram of food from gestation day 7 to 18 as the only source of food. Outside this period they received unadulterated food and water ad libitum. Each mouse was killed at 12 weeks of age. The muscle mass of control mice was significantly larger than that of the phenobarbital-exposed group in both sexes. The smaller muscle mass of the phenobarbital-exposed group as observed from the analysis of the soleus muscle was due to a smaller number of muscle fibres being present than in the control group, since the muscle fibre sizes were similar in both groups. This indicated that prenatal administration of phenobarbital inhibits normal hyperplasia of muscle fibres.

Effects of Maternal Alcohol Consumption on the Allometric Growth of Muscles in Fetal and Neonatal Rats

“…It is also similar to what was described as lack of catch-up growth in FAS in humans [Hanson et al, 1976] and experimental animals [Abel and Dintcheff, 1978;Leichter and Lee, 1979]. The lack of catch-up growth as observed in the muscles postnatally may be due to the fact that the number of muscle fibres is fixed prenatally or shortly after birth [Rowe and Goldspink, 1969;Goldspink, 1972], since Ihemelandu [1984] reported a loss of muscle fibres and no differences in muscle fibre sizes in mice exposed to alcohol prenatally. The results of this study have also established that maternal alcohol consumption in rats during prenatal and postnatal periods produced retardation of growth and lack of catch-up growth of the offspring.…”

“…This is evident when the absolute muscle weights as well as percentage of body weight contributed by these muscles were used as indices of growth since the weight of any muscle is influenced by the weight of the body [Joubert, 1956]. This observation is similar to the findings of Ihemelandu [1984]. It is also similar to what was described as lack of catch-up growth in FAS in humans [Hanson et al, 1976] and experimental animals [Abel and Dintcheff, 1978;Leichter and Lee, 1979].…”

“…In experimental animal models FAS is characterized during fetal and neonatal life by retardation of growth [Tze and Lee, 1975;Abel and Dintcheff, 1978;Leichter and Lee, 1979] and muscle hypotrophy [Ihemelandu, 1984]. Studies by Lee and Leichter [1980] indicated that retardation of Accepted after revision: November 10, 1998 ¤Abbreviations used in this paper DNMRT Duncan's new multiple range test FAS fetal alcohol syndrome growth during pre-and postnatal life was not due to undernutrition of the mother.…”

Effect of Maternal Alcohol Consumption on Epididymal Growth in Neonatal Mice

“…This observation is similar to the findings of Taylor et al (1981) and Onu et al (2002a) on testicular growth in fetal alcohol syndrome in rat. The observation also agrees with what was described as lack of catch-up growth in fetal alcohol syndrome in humans (Hanson et al, 1976) and in experimental animals (Lee and Leichter, 1980;Ihemelandu, 1984). However, the results of this study also revealed that the epididymis exposed to alcohol during pregnancy and during pregnancy and lactation attempted to catch-up growth with their control counterparts.…”

“…The effects of maternal alcohol intake on the growth and development of some parts of the body in both human and experimental animals have been reported (Lee and Leichter, 1980;Ihemelandu, 1984;Clarren et al, 1985;Piqueras-Renau et al, 1987;Nwaogu and Ihemelandu, 1999a, b). In the reproductive system, reduced growth have been reported on the testes (Onu and Ezeasor, 2001;Onu et al, 2002a, b;Fakoya and Caxton-Martins, 2004) and on the penis (Onu et al, 2004).…”