Ethanol effects on histobiochemical parameters of suckling pups borned from alcoholic rat mothers

Abstract

Fetus and neonate growth retardation is one of the main characteristics of fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) disorders. Ethanol can be transferred to the fetus through the placenta and to newborns through suckling. This study was designed to investigate the effects of consuming different doses of ethanol during lactation on enzymatic and tissue changes and growth indices in suckling rat pups. Forty-five lactating Wistar rats with nine lactating pups each were randomly allocated to three treatment groups. The two treatment groups received 2 and 4 % v/v ethanol, while the third group was the control on distilled water for 24 days. On day 25 after birth, 30 newborn rats were randomly selected from each group and serum activity of liver enzyme markers, lactate dehydrogenase, blood urea nitrogen, creatinine, and creatine phosphokinase enzymes was measured. Pathological examinations were performed on brain, liver, and kidney tissues. The obtained data was analyzed using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Dunnett's tests. Enzymatic activity of lactate dehydrogenase and creatinine was significantly (p < 0.05) higher in the rats that received alcohol as compared to the control. In histopathological examinations, different injuries were observed in kidney, liver, and brain tissues of suckling pups exposed to 4 % v/v ethanol. Consumption of alcohol in the lactating rats can cause irreparable effects on the suckling neonate.