Developmental toxicity of ethanol in chick heart in ovo and in micromass culture can be prevented by addition of vitamin C and folic acid.
The teratogenic effects of ethanol include malformations of the cardiovascular system, which may be abrogated by multivitamin therapy. Chick cardiomyocytes in micromass culture were treated with ethanol alone or with supplementation with folate or vitamin C. Ethanol alone caused a loss of cell viability and differentiation (beating) whereas those cells treated in addition with vitamins were comparable to the control. Chick embryos were injected on day 3 of incubation with PBS, ethanol alone or with additional vitamin C or folic acid. On day 9 embryos were examined for viability, growth retardation and gross malformation and the hearts were processed for histology. Results showed that ethanol significantly decreased survival of embryos or caused growth retardation and gross malformation (p<0.05). Embryos incubated with addition of vitamin C or folic acid were comparable to the control. Data obtained in this study suggest that supplementation with vitamin C or folic acid during pregnancy may prevent defects in heart development brought about by ethanol.
Memon
Samreen
S
Centre for Integrated Systems Biology and Medicine, School of Biomedical Sciences, Queen's Medical Centre, University of Nottingham NG7 2UH, UK. mbxsm4@nottingham.ac.uk
Pratten
Margaret K
MK
D000014:Abnormalities, Drug-Induced / Q000517:prevention & control*; D000818:Animals; D001205:Ascorbic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002642:Chick Embryo; D004336:Drug Antagonism; D020964:Embryo Loss / Q000139:chemically induced; D000431:Ethanol / Q000633:toxicity*; D020567:Fetal Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D005492:Folic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006321:Heart / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000196:embryology; D006330:Heart Defects, Congenital / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000473:pathology; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D032383:Myocytes, Cardiac / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology
D000431:Ethanol; D005492:Folic Acid; D001205:Ascorbic Acid