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Title: Effect of ethanol and/or reduced caloric intake during pregnancy on brain weight and synaptic membranes of mothers and their newborn

Journal Article · · Fed. Proc., Fed. Am. Soc. Exp. Biol.; (United States)
OSTI ID:6787389

Pregnant female rats were divided into five groups and fed as follows: - Ad libitum (AD), 20% of calories as ethanol (ED20), pair fed to ED20 (CD20), 36% of calories as ethanol (ED36), pair to ED36( CD36). New-born rats were obtained from these groups and labelled:- AN, EN20, CN20, EN36, CN36. The brains were removed and a synaptic membrane enriched fraction isolated which was analyzed for protein, sialic acid and the marker enzymes:- acetylcholinesterase (AC) and Na/K ATPase. Caloric intake was reduced by ethanol to 85% (ED20) and 68% (ED36) of the ad libitum fed (AD). Brain wt. of the neonate was reduced by the lower caloric intake of the dam but ethanol ingestion reduced the brain weight of the neonate even more significantly, CN36 vs. ED36 (p<0.05). The amount of synaptic membranes (syn.mem), in the brain was 5 to 7 times greater in the dam than their corresponding neonates, but there was no significant difference in the sialic acid (SA) content of the syn. mem. of dams and their corresponding neonates; however, the levels of both enzyme markers were negligible in the neonate. The reduced caloric and/or ethanol ingestion by the dam increased the levels of SA in the syn. mem. of both dam and neonate, and the marker enzymes in the dam.

Research Organization:
Chicago Medical School, IL
OSTI ID:
6787389
Report Number(s):
CONF-8604222-
Journal Information:
Fed. Proc., Fed. Am. Soc. Exp. Biol.; (United States), Vol. 45:4; Conference: 70. annual meeting of the Federation of American Society for Experimental Biology, St. Louis, MO, USA, 13 Apr 1986
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English