Acute paternal alcohol exposure impairs fertility and fetal outcome.
An acute injection of an intoxicating dose of alcohol to male rats 24 hours prior to breeding with drug-naive females produced no discernible effect on copulatory activity, as reflected in vaginal plugs, but resulted in markedly (> 50%) reduced pregnancy rates. Fetal outcome was also markedly affected in offspring sired by alcohol-treated males: litter sizes were appreciably smaller (30%) and fetal mortality was more than 2 times higher than in controls. These results suggest that paternal alcohol use, like maternal alcohol abuse, may adversely affect fertility and fetal outcome.
Cicero
T J
TJ
Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO.
Nock
B
B
O'Connor
L H
LH
Sewing
B N
BN
Adams
M L
ML
Meyer
E R
ER
D000435:Alcoholic Intoxication / Q000503:physiopathology*; D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D000431:Ethanol / Q000097:blood / Q000633:toxicity*; D005260:Female; D005298:Fertility / Q000187:drug effects*; D008098:Litter Size; D008297:Male; D010332:Paternal Behavior; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D051381:Rats
D000431:Ethanol