Effect of prenatal exposure to ethanol on postnatal development of intestinal transport functions in rats.
BACKGROUND
Alcohol consumption by pregnant animals and humans leads to general growth impairment in their offspring, delayed growth and multiple birth defects collectively called "Fetal Alcohol Syndrome". In utero exposure of ethanol to rat pups causes damage to their developing intestinal epithelium which leads to impairment of nutrient assimilation and growth retardation during postnatal development.


OBJECTIVE
To determine the effect of prenatal exposure of ethanol on the postnatal development of rat intestinal Na(+)-dependent and independent D-glucose transporter along with the amino acids (glycine and Lleucine) transporter activity at 4, 8, 14, 20 and 30 days of postnatal age. The changes in the expression levels of Na(+)-dependent glucose transporter (SGLT1) mRNA was assessed at different days of postnatal age in rat pups.


METHODS
Wistar strain albino female rats were fed ethanol at a dose of 2 g/kg body weight/day orally by Ryle's tube for one month before mating and during the entire period of gestation while the control females received isocaloric glucose. Transport studies were performed using the everted intestine of 4, 8, 14, 20 and 30 day-old control and ethanol-exposed pups employing the tissue accumulation method. The expression of SGLT1 mRNA at different days of postnatal age in control and ethanol-exposed rat pups was determined using a Northern Blot analysis.


RESULTS
Prenatal exposure of ethanol to rat pups leads to a decrease in their body weight, intestinal length and weight and reduces the uptake capacities of SGLT1 as well as energy dependent glycine and L-leucine transporters with respect to their age-matched controls. However, the mRNA levels of SGLT1 remained unaltered in the ethanol-exposed pups at all ages of postnatal development compared to their controls.


CONCLUSIONS
These findings suggest that in utero exposure to ethanol leads to a general delay in the postnatal development of the intestine of ethanol-exposed rat pups affecting mainly the development of intestinal energy dependent D-glucose and amino acid (glycine and L-leucine) transporters.
Bhalla
Sonali
S
Department of Biochemistry, Panjab University, Chandigarh, India.
Mahmood
Safrun
S
Mahmood
Akhtar
A
D000818:Animals; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants / Q000009:adverse effects*; D000431:Ethanol / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental / Q000187:drug effects; D007408:Intestinal Absorption / Q000187:drug effects; D007421:Intestine, Small / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development; D008431:Maternal-Fetal Exchange / Q000502:physiology*; D009004:Monosaccharide Transport Proteins / Q000187:drug effects*; D009929:Organ Size / Q000187:drug effects; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000187:drug effects; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants; D009004:Monosaccharide Transport Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D000431:Ethanol