Summary
Maternal ingestion of alcohol appears to cause a pattern of congenital anomalies with
a reduction of pre- and postnatal growth in the offspring. In order to study the possible
implication of thyroid function in the effects of pre- and/or postnatal exposure to
alcohol, we have studied serum thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3) levels in
rats from alcohol-fed mothers during the postnatal period (0-50 days). Blood alcohol
levels of ethanol-treated pregnant rats were ≅ 20-25 mM and their serum T4 levels
were decreased, compared with the pair-fed controls, at 15 and 21 days of gestation.
No significant changes were observed in T3 levels.
Prenatal alcohol exposure was associated with a decrease in both T4 and T3 levels
in pups at birth. Although T4 levels continued reduced in the 40-50 days of the postnatal
period, no clear effects were observed on T3 levels during this time. Moreover, the
more marked alterations were obtained when the offspring were postnatally and pre+postnatally
exposed to alcohol. Significant decreases were found in both T4 and T3 levels following
postnatal exposure, except at the 20-25th day when a marked but transient increase
in T4 levels was observed.
These results indicate that alcohol exposure disturbs the hypothalamo-pituitary-thyroid
axis, as measured by T3 and T4 hormone levels, mainly when the rats are exposed during
the postnatal period.
Key-Words
Prenatal Alcohol Exposure
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Postnatal Alcohol Exposure
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Pregnant Alcohol-Fed Rat
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T3 Levels
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T4 Levels
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Thyroid Function
