QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (PDF) Purchase Article View Shopping Cart Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Zidenberg-Cherr, S. Articles by Keen, C. L. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Zidenberg-Cherr, S. Articles by Keen, C. L.

Influence of Ethanol Consumption on Maternal-Fetal Transfer of Zinc in Pregnant Rats on Day 14 of Pregnancy^1,2,

Sheri Zidenberg-Cherr^*,, Judith Rosenbaum and Carl L. Keen^,

^* Laboratory of Energy and Health Related Research Department of Nutrition Department of Internal Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA 95616

The hypothesis that a biochemical lesion underlying the development of fetal alcohol syndrome is an ethanol-induced reduction in placental zinc transfer was tested. Placental zinc transfer was assessed in control and ethanol-fed dams on d 14–15 of pregnancy. Litters from ethanol-fed dams were characterized by a high resorption frequency and fewer live fetuses per litter than litters from control dams. In addition, fetuses from the ethanol-fed dams weighed less than control fetuses. However, despite the negative effects of ethanol intake on litter outcome, placental and fetal retention of ⁶⁵Zn was similar in the two groups. Therefore, an ethanol-induced fetal zinc deficiency does not seem to have a role in the production of the gross structural malformations associated with fetal alcohol syndrome when adequate zinc is provided in the diet.

KEY WORDS: • ethanol • fetal alcohol syndrome • zinc • placenta • copper • iron

¹ Supported in part by National Institutes of Heath Grant No. HD01743.

² Presented in part at the Annual Meeting of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology, March 29–April 2, 1987, Washington, DC [Zidenberg-Cherr, S., Rosenbaum, J. & Keen, C. L. (1987) Reduced placental transfer of Zn during organogenesis: a mechanism underlying fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) in rats. Fed. Proc. 46: 598 (abs. 1645)].

Manuscript received 20 January 1988. Revision accepted 9 March 1988.