Journal of Food, Agriculture and Environment

The effect of alcohol consumption during embryogenesis on the product of pregnancy: Experimental study

Author(s):

Daniela Iacob ¹, Marius Pentea ², Radu E. Iacob ³*

Recieved Date: 2012-01-10, Accepted Date: 2012-05-07

Abstract:

Despite the development and diversification of both contraceptive methods and family planning, given the high percentage of people in social difficulty, cases of unplanned pregnancies still occur relatively frequently. From the time of such a pregnancy initiation to its diagnose there is a period superposable to that of embryogenesis when the product of pregnancy may be exposed to teratogen factors by the mother’s inadequate diet, administration of certain medication, use of drugs, tobacco, alcohol, etc. Although many studies certify the effects of exposure of the product of pregnancy to the long-term action of alcohol, data in literature establishing the correlation between the short-term use of alcohol, during embryogenesis, and the onset of certain abnormalities are still lacking. The current experiment is intended to clarify this aspect by making a correlation between alcohol administration to pregnant female mice in the first part of pregnancy, during embryogenesis, and the possibility of congenital malformations onset in products of pregnancy. Forty pregnant sexually mature white female mice were selected to this end and kept under specific microclimate conditions. During the first seven days of gestation, corresponding to the first part of the embryogenesis of human pregnancy, the mice were administered alcohol with a concentration of 20% instead of drinking water.The resulting offsprings were studied morphologically, as well as from the point of view of their growth and development up to the sexual maturity; we also assessed their reproduction capacity. Mice were examined radiologically after euthanasia in order to study their skeletal maturation and the possible osteoarticular malformations. Liver and kidneys were collected afterwards and evaluated macroscopically and microscopically in hematoxylin-eosin staining. Even though we didn’t find any macroscopic changes, in the kidneys we found passive congestions in the renal cortical and parotid dystrophies, and passive vascular congestion with granular dystrophy. The lesions detected in the liver were passive vascular congestion, sinusoidal capillary ectasias and centrolobular vein congestion. All these lesions indicate a renal and hepatic affection at distance in the animals prenatally exposed to alcohol during embryogenesis. 

Keywords:

Alcohol, pregnant female mice, liver and kidneys lesions

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Journal: Journal of Food, Agriculture and Environment
Year: 2012
Volume: 10
Issue: 2
Category: Food and Health
Pages: 147-150

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