title: Effect of ethanol on immature ovine fetal breathing movements, fetal prostaglandin E2, and myometrial activity.
abstract: In the mature ovine fetus, ethanol decreases fetal breathing movements (FBM), which is temporally related to increased prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) concentration, decreases blood glucose concentration, increases blood lactate concentration, and decreases uterine electromyographic (EMG) activity. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of ethanol on these variables in the immature fetal sheep. Experiments were conducted in pregnant ewes at 85-94 days of gestation (full term 147 days) that received a 1-h maternal infusion of 1 g ethanol/kg maternal body wt (n = 9) or an equivalent volume of saline (n = 5). The maximal maternal and fetal blood ethanol concentrations for the ethanol regimen were 1.305 +/- 0.165 and 1.458 +/- 0.137 mg/ml, respectively. Maternal infusion of ethanol (or saline) did not change the incidence of FBM, fetal plasma PGE2 concentration, heart rate, blood pressure, blood gases and pH, or uterine EMG activity. Ethanol decreased (P < 0.05) fetal blood glucose concentration from 1.18 +/- 0.10 to 0.87 +/- 0.07 and 0.89 +/- 0.09 mM at 1 and 3 h, respectively, but did not alter blood lactate concentration compared with saline infusion. These data support the hypothesis that the effects of ethanol on FBM, fetal plasma PGE2 and blood lactate concentrations, and uterine EMG activity are gestational age dependent.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Western Ontario, London, Canada.
authors.forename: A D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Bocking
authors.forename: L J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Carmichael
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Abdollah
authors.forename: K R
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Sinervo
authors.forename: G N
authors.initials: GN
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: J F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Brien
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis; D015232:Dinoprostone / Q000097:blood*; D000431:Ethanol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000187:drug effects*; D005324:Fetal Movement / Q000187:drug effects*; D005740:Gases / Q000097:blood; D007773:Lactates / Q000097:blood; D019344:Lactic Acid; D008431:Maternal-Fetal Exchange; D009215:Myometrium / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D011247:Pregnancy; D012119:Respiration / Q000187:drug effects*; D012756:Sheep / Q000097:blood; D014590:Uterine Contraction / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D005740:Gases; D007773:Lactates; D019344:Lactic Acid; D000431:Ethanol; D015232:Dinoprostone