Craniofacial alterations in adult rats prenatally exposed to ethanol.
The rat was studied to determine whether gestational exposure to moderate amounts of ethanol produces permanent craniofacial malformations. Pregnant Long-Evans rats were fed a liquid diet containing 35% ethanol-derived calories or an isocaloric liquid diet between gestation days 6 and 20. Various dimensions of skulls and mandibles from adult male offspring were measured. All measurements taken in the parasagittal and coronal planes were significantly smaller in the ethanol-exposed rats than in the offspring of pair-fed controls. None of the vertical measurements was significantly altered. This report demonstrates that gestational exposure to ethanol in rats, at doses which produce lasting behavioral effects, also produces a specific constellation of craniofacial dysmorphisms without concomitant decreases in body weight.
Edwards
H G
HG
Department of Orthodontics, New York University College of Dentistry, New York 10010.
Dow-Edwards
D L
DL
D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D000431:Ethanol / Q000633:toxicity*; D005147:Facial Bones / Q000002:abnormalities*; D005260:Female; D063647:Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders / Q000473:pathology; D008334:Mandible / Q000002:abnormalities; D011247:Pregnancy; D051381:Rats; D012016:Reference Values; D012886:Skull / Q000002:abnormalities*; D013723:Teratogens / Q000633:toxicity*
D013723:Teratogens; D000431:Ethanol