Acute treatment of paternal alcohol exposure produces malformations in offspring.
Male rats were intubated only once with either 6, 4, 2, or 0 g/kg alcohol. Food was removed from all animals for several hours after intubation. Males were bred with a single female until sperm was observed in the vaginal smear, for up to a maximum of 7 days after treatment. Females were sacrificed on gestation day 20. There were no significant effects on mating, fecundity, or litter size, but there were significant dose-response increases in "runts" and significant linear associations in the number of malformations in alcohol-sired offspring. A second study using the same methodology found similar results. The results indicate that a single acute treatment with alcohol just prior to breeding may have a significant effect on offspring.
Bielawski
D M
DM
C. S. Mott Center for Human Growth and Development, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48201, USA.
Abel
E L
EL
D000014:Abnormalities, Drug-Induced / Q000473:pathology*; D000818:Animals; D001724:Birth Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000633:toxicity*; D000431:Ethanol / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000633:toxicity*; D005260:Female; D005333:Fetus / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000187:drug effects; D007441:Intubation, Gastrointestinal; D008098:Litter Size / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D018812:Paternal Exposure; D010920:Placenta / Q000187:drug effects; D011247:Pregnancy; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012726:Sexual Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects
D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants; D000431:Ethanol