Abstract
1. 1. Daily food intake, fluid consumption, offspring growth and metabolic parameters were studied in rats receiving ethanol in the drinking water before, during and after gestation. 2. 2. Ethanol treatment always reduced daily food, liquid and caloric intake in the rat, except during gestation when total daily caloric intake was greater in rats receiving ethanol than in control animals. The increase in both food and liquid intake during lactation in controls was also observed in alcohol-deprived mothers but was significantly reduced in mothers maintained under alcohol treatment. 3. 3. Offspring from alcohol-treated mothers were retarded in body weight and size compared with controls, the differences becoming greater as the suckling period advanced. 4. 4. The 15 day-old pups from alcohol-treated mothers had reduced glucose and augmented beta-hydroxybutyrate levels in blood, and markedly reduced liver glycogen concentrations, indicating their acutely denutrited state. 5. 5. In pups from mothers that received alcohol until the 21st day of gestation, body weight and size were normalized at the 15th day but skeletal maturation and liver glycogen concentration were reduced and blood acetoacetate and beta-hydroxybutyrate were augmented as compared with values in pups from control mothers. If these parameters are interrelated, metabolic changes may be used for early diagnosis of fetal alcohol syndrome.
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