Impact of in utero exposure to EtOH on corpus callosum development and paw preference in rats: protective effects of silymarin.
BACKGROUND
Using a rat model we have found that the bioflavonoid silymarin (SY) ameliorates some of the negative consequences of in utero exposure to ethanol (EtOH). In the current study our aim was to determine if laterality preference and corpus callosum development were altered in rat offspring whose mothers were provided with a concomitant administration of SY with EtOH throughout gestation.


METHODS
We provided pregnant Fisher/344 rats with liquid diets containing 35% ethanol derived calories (EDC) throughout the gestational period. A silymarin/phospholipid compound containing 29.8% silybin was co administered with EtOH to a separate experimental group. We tested the offspring for laterality preference at age 12 weeks. After testing the rats were sacrificed and their brains perfused for later corpus callosum extraction.


RESULTS
We observed incomplete development of the splenium in the EtOH-only offspring. Callosal development was complete in all other treatment groups. Rats from the EtOH-only group displayed a left paw preference; whereas control rats were evenly divided between right and left paw preference. Inexplicably both SY groups were largely right paw preferring.


CONCLUSIONS
The addition of SY to the EtOH liquid diet did confer some ameliorative effects upon the developing fetal rat brain.
Moreland
Nicol
N
Department of Behavioral Sciences, New Mexico Highlands University, 117 Hewett Hall, Las Vegas, NM 87701, USA. nicolmoreland@hotmail.com
La Grange
Linda
L
Montoya
Rebecca
R
D061085:Agenesis of Corpus Callosum; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology; D003337:Corpus Callosum / Q000187:drug effects / Q000196:embryology / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000473:pathology; D000431:Ethanol / Q000633:toxicity*; D005260:Female; D063647:Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000187:drug effects*; D009929:Organ Size / Q000187:drug effects; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; D020011:Protective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D011916:Rats, Inbred F344; D000077385:Silybin; D012838:Silymarin / Q000494:pharmacology*
D020011:Protective Agents; D012838:Silymarin; D000431:Ethanol; D000077385:Silybin