Abstract
Morphologic effects of maternal alcohol intake on skull, mandible and tooth of the offspring in BALB/cJ mice were studied. Adult female mice were given orally 20% alcohol in drinking water and a diet before and during pregnancy. Maternal blood alcohol levels showed 284.0±1.4 mg/100 ml on gestation day 12.5. Skull and mandible were dissected, weighed and processed for statistical analysis and light microscopic examinations. The results were as follows: 1) The total maternal body weights showed no significant difference during pregnancy between the control and alcohol-treated groups, but the offspring of alcohol-treated females showed weight deficit through the period of gestation and postnatal 28.5 days. 2) The mandible weight of the offspring was less in the alcohol-treated group than the control group through a postnatal period of 28.5 days. 3) The growth of the skull and mandible in the offspring was retarded in the alcohol-treated group through a postnatal period of 28.5 days. Significant statistical differences of the growth were seen in the posterior region of the mandible. 4) Appearance of the tooth germ was delayed on gestation day 14.5. 5) Calcification of the tooth was delayed on postnatal day 1.5. 6) Retardation of the tooth eruption was seen on postnatal day 14.5. It is indicated that the offspring associated with maternal chronic alcoholism showed retardations in their skeletal and dental development, and failed to catch up to the growth of the control animals during a postnatal period of four weeks.
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