Alcohol-induced alterations in calcium metabolism in the pregnant rat.
The effect of alcohol ingestion during pregnancy on maternal calcium metabolism was investigated by allowing pregnant rats to ingest Purina Rat Chow ad libitum along with 20% ethanol in their drinking water from day 6 to 19 of pregnancy. Ethanol constituted 50% of the caloric intake and resulted in blood levels of 98 mg/dl on day 19 of gestation. Control rats were pair-fed with rat Chow and dextrimaltose was isocalorically substituted for ethanol in the drinking water. Alcohol consumption was attended by decreased serum levels of calcium (7.3 +/- 0.5 versus 9.5 +/- 0.3 mg/dl, p less than 0.01), and phosphorus (5.7 +/- 0.5 versus 7.5 +/- 0.3 mg/dl, p less than 0.01), as well as by lowered tubular reabsorption of phosphate (88.6 +/- 4.6 versus 95.0 +/- 0.7%, p less than 0.05). The fasting urinary calcium/creatinine ratio (Ca/Cr), an index of bone resorption, was increased in the alcohol-consuming rats (0.41 +/- 0.08 versus 0.24 +/- 0.04, p less than 0.05). In contrast, alcohol administered to nonpregnant female rats for the same time period and resulting in blood levels of 129 mg/dl had no effect on serum calcium, phosphorus, tubular reabsorption of phosphate, or fasting urinary Ca/Cr. The data suggest that alcohol ingestion during pregnancy, a time of increased calcium requirement, produces biochemical changes consistent with secondary hyperparathyroidism.
D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism*; D003404:Creatinine / Q000378:metabolism; D000431:Ethanol / Q000097:blood / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D010710:Phosphates / Q000378:metabolism; D011247:Pregnancy; D011270:Pregnancy, Animal / Q000187:drug effects*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains
D010710:Phosphates; D000431:Ethanol; D003404:Creatinine; D002118:Calcium