title: Postnatal development of alcohol dehydrogenase in liver and intestine of rats exposed to ethanol in utero.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Ethanol exposure during gestation induces marked aberrations in growth and development of offsprings collectively known as foetal alcohol syndrome (FAS);. However, its effects on the postnatal development of alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) are not adequately investigated. Therefore, ADH activity in liver and intestine of rats exposed to ethanol during gestation was studied in relation to postnatal development.
  
  
  METHODS
  Pregnant female rats beginning at day 1 of gestation were fed 1 ml of 30 per cent ethanol daily during the entire gestation period. ADH activity was determined in liver and intestine postnatally at day 4, 8, 14, 20 and 30. DNA and RNA contents and intestinal histology were also examined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  During the first two weeks of postnatal life, there was no difference in ADH levels of rat liver and intestine in control and prenatally ethanol exposed pups but ADH levels were significantly reduced at 3-4 wk in ethanol fed group compared to control. A similar decrease in DNA and RNA contents of intestine and changes in tissue morphology were observed in ethanol exposed pups during postnatal development.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The findings of our study suggested that prenatal ethanol exposure modified ADH activity in liver and intestine during postnatal development. This could affect ethanol metabolism under these conditions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Panjab University.
authors.forename: Sonali
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bhalla
authors.forename: Kamaljit
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kaur
authors.forename: Akhtar
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mahmood
authors.forename: Safrun
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mahmood
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000378:metabolism*; D000426:Alcohol Dehydrogenase / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D000431:Ethanol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D007422:Intestines / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
chemical_list: D000431:Ethanol; D000426:Alcohol Dehydrogenase