Abstract
The effect of the consumption of ethanol (5%) on retinol concentration in milk was studied in the rat on day 12 after delivery, together with the evolution of dam body weight and pup growth rate. Female Wistar rats receiving alcohol (5%) in drinking water during lactation (N = 7) were compared to normal controls fed ad libitum (N = 6). The mean maternal alcohol intake was 3.96 +/- 0.23 g/kg body weight per day. To determine retinol levels in milk we used the Bessey and Lowry method, modified by Araújo and Flores ((1978) Clinical Chemistry, 24:386-392). The pups were separated from dams for a 2-4-h period, after which the dams were injected intraperitoneally with anesthetic and oxytocin. The concentration of retinol in milk was 162.88 +/- 10.60 micrograms/dl in the control group and 60.02 +/- 8.22 micrograms/dl in the ethanol group (P < 0.05). The ethanol group consumed less food than the controls and lost a significant amount of weight during lactation. On days 8, 10 and 12, the body weight of the pups from rats given ethanol (13.46 +/- 0.43, 16.12 +/- 0.48 and 18.60 +/- 0.91 g, respectively) were significantly lower (P < 0.05) than the weight of pups from controls (15.2 +/- 0.44, 18.36 +/- 0.54, 20.77 +/- 0.81 g). These data show that ethanol intake during the suckling period, even at low concentrations, decreases the amount of retinol in milk and, therefore, the amount available to the pups.
Highlights
The effect of the consumption of ethanol (5%) on retinol concentration in milk was studied in the rat on day 12 after delivery, together with the evolution of dam body weight and pup growth rate
In the present study we investigated the effect of the intake of a low ethanol concentration (5%) during the first two weeks of lactation on the retinol levels of the milk of lactating rats, and on the evolution of dam body weight and postnatal growth of the offspring
Studies have demonstrated that chronic ethanol consumption (25% in drinking water) by lactating rats during both pregnancy and lactation may alter the composition of milk, which was found to be higher in lipid and lower in lactose content when compared to the milk of control animals [11,12]
Summary
The effect of the consumption of ethanol (5%) on retinol concentration in milk was studied in the rat on day 12 after delivery, together with the evolution of dam body weight and pup growth rate. In the present study we investigated the effect of the intake of a low ethanol concentration (5%) during the first two weeks of lactation on the retinol levels of the milk of lactating rats, and on the evolution of dam body weight and postnatal growth of the offspring.
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