Effects of ethanol administered during pregnancy and lactation on the offspring survival, growth and exploratory behavior
Vaglenova, J.; Petkov, V.V.
Acta Physiologica et Pharmacologica Bulgarica 14(2): 33-39
1988
ISSN/ISBN: 0323-9950 PMID: 3223290 Document Number: 309438
The survival (mortality rate), growth (body weight) and exploratory behavior (open field test) of the offspring of Wistar rats, treated with ethanol, were studied. Ethanol at a dose of 9 g/kg/day was applied as 6% aqueous solution (v/v). One group of rats received ethanol (E) during pregnancy and lactation (E + E), in another group E was substituted by water (W) during lactation (E + W) and a third group of rats received E only during lactation (W + E). The mortality rate in the offspring of the E + E and E + W groups of dams was significantly increased. The body growth of the offspring of the E + E group was significantly delayed as compared to controls. Inhibited exploratory activity, impaired habituation capacity and disturbed emotional balance were found in the 9-week old offspring of the E + W, W + E and E + E groups of dams respectively. It is suggested that pre- and/or postnatal ethanol received even at low concentrations with drinking water leads to long-lasting CNS disturbances characteristic of the fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS).