Blood alcohol level and caloric intake in the gravid rat as a function of diurnal period, trimester, and vehicle.
Blood ethanol levels, caloric intake and weight gain were monitored over the 21-day gestational period in the gravid Sprague-Dawley rat as a function of the administration of ethanol in either a liquid diet (Ensure) or an aqueous saccharin solution. The mean daily percentage of ethanol consumed (38% vs 31%), and g/Kg of ethanol consumed (11.9 vs 9.7 g/Kg) were higher for the liquid diet group than the aqueous solution group. Ethanol consumption varied by the trimester in the Ensure but not in the saccharin solution rats. Proportional maternal weight gain, live litter size, and live litter weight did not vary as a function of the method of ethanol administration. Both groups exhibited significant diurnal periodicity in ethanol consumption, and the greatest caloric intake during the second trimester. The implications of these results for ethanol administration in gravid rats is discussed.
D000437:Alcoholism / Q000097:blood; D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D002940:Circadian Rhythm; D004032:Diet / Q000187:drug effects; D002149:Energy Intake / Q000187:drug effects; D000431:Ethanol / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D005333:Fetus / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000097:blood; D011270:Pregnancy, Animal / Q000187:drug effects; D051381:Rats; D012439:Saccharin / Q000008:administration & dosage
D000431:Ethanol; D012439:Saccharin