Developmental aspects of intestinal intraepithelial and lamina propria lymphocytes in the rat following placental and lactational exposure to ethanol.

Abstract

Fetal and lactational exposure to alcohol can induce impairments to the immune system and lead to decreased resistance to certain infectious agents. Morphometric procedures were used to quantify changes induced by maternal ethanol consumption in the gut-associated lymphoid tissue of rat pups. Rats were pair-fed with ethanol-containing or isocaloric control liquid diets formulated for pregnant and lactating animals from day 1 of pregnancy and throughout the lactation periods. Pups were weaned and placed on control liquid diet on post-natal day 21. Intraepithelial and lamina propria lymphocytes and macrophages were evaluated on post-natal days 14, 18, and 25. Lower thymus weights were observed in the ethanol-exposed pups on post-natal days 14 and 18 and lower total thymocyte counts on post-natal day 14. On post-natal day 14, T cells, T cytotoxic cells, IgA plasma cells, and macrophages were decreased in the ileal epithelial and lamina propria areas in the ethanol-exposed, compared to the pair-fed, pups. No differences for any of the above cell counts were found in the jejunum on post-natal day 14. On post-natal day 18, macrophages were still decreased in the ileum in the ethanol-treated pups, compared to pair-fed animals. No differences were found in T cells, T cytotoxic cells, and IgA lymphocytes between groups in either the jejunum or ileum on post-natal days 18 and 25. This study suggests that fetal and lactational exposure to ethanol has some effects on the development or influx of intraepithelial and lamina propria leukocytes and that the changes are most pronounced in early neonatal life.