Abstract
Ten percent ethyl alcohol as drinking fluid of breeding mice did not affect gestation period, litter size or litter weight. Alcohol was secreted in milk, and weight gain up to weaning was reduced in offspring of treated mice, males having significantly reduced weights at 3–4 weeks.
When weaned at 21 days, treated offspring were given 10% alcohol to drink. Intake amounted to 31 mg/g body weight each day on average. Ethological analysis of behaviour occurring in encounters between alcohol-treated and control mice of the same sex showed that exploration and scanning were increased in duration in treated mice of both sexes and were increased in frequency in treated females. The frequency of self-grooming was reduced in treated mice of both sexes and scratching in treated males.
Ethyl alcohol (10%) as drinking fluid for 5 days to 21 day old mice procuced different behavioural effects. In treated males the social elements, ‘investigate’, ‘sniff’ and ‘follow’ were increased in frequency during encounters and ‘digging’ was reduced. Treated females showed no change in social behaviour. Weight gain was reduced in treated males.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Abel, E. L.: Effects of ethanol on pregnant rats and their offspring. Psychopharmacology 57, 5–11 (1978)
Bond, N. W., DiGiusto, E. L.: Prenatal alcohol consumption and open-field behaviour in rats; effects of age at time of testing. Psychopharmacology 52, 311–312 (1977)
Branchey, L., Friedhoff, A. J.: Biochemical and behavioural changes in rats exposed to ethanol in utero. Ann. NY Acad. Sci. 273, 328–330 (1976)
Chernoff, G. F.: The fetal alcohol syndrome in mice: An animal model. Teratology 15, 223–230 (1977)
Cutler, M. G.: Effects of exposure to lead on social behaviour in the laboratory mouse. Psychopharmacology 52, 279–282 (1977)
Elis, J., Krsiak, N.: Effect of alcohol administration during pregnancy on social behaviour of offsprings of mice. Act. Nerv. Super 17, 281–282 (1975)
Ellis, F. W., Pick, J. R., Sawyer, M.: Ethanol dose-response relationships in a beagle model of fetal alcohol syndrome. Presented at Fetal Alcohol Syndrome workshop, San Diego, February 12–14 (1977)
Ewart, F. G., Cutler, M. G.: Effects of ethyl alcohol on development and social behaviour in the offspring of laboratory mice. Psychopharmacology, 62, 247–251 (1979)
Hofteig, J. H., Druse-Manteuffel, M. J., Collins, M. A.: The effect of maternal alcohol consumption on CNS myelination in the developing rat. Neuroscience 11, 866 (1976)
Joffe, J. M.: Prenatal determinations of behaviour. London: Oxford 1969
Jones, K. L., Smith, D. W., Ulleland, C. N., Streissguth, A. P.: Pattern of malformation in offspring of chronic alcoholic mothers. Lancet 1973 I, 1267–1271
Khan, M. A. Q., Bederka, J. P.: Survival in toxic environments. In: Ecological and health effects of pollutants in automobile exhaust. London: Academic Press 1974
Kronick, J. B.: Teratogenic effects of ethyl alcohol administered to pregnant mice. Am. J. Obstet. Gynecol. 124, 676–680 (1976)
Lagerspetz, K., Talo, S.: Maturation of aggressive behaviour in young mice. Rep. Inst. Psychol. Univ. of Turku 28, 1–9 (1967)
Laale, H. W.: Ethanol induced notochord and spinal cord duplication in the embryo of the zebrafish, Brachydanio rerio. J. Exp. Zool. 177, 51–64 (1971)
Mackintosh, J. H., Chance, M. R. A., Silverman, A. P.: The contribution of ethological techniques to the study of drug effects. In: Handbook of psychopharmacology, Vol. 7, L. I. Iverson, S. D. Iverson, S. H. Snyder, eds., pp. 3–35. New York, London: Plenum 1977
Martin, J. C., Martin, D. C., Sigman, G., Radow, B.: Offspring survival, development and operant performance following maternal ethanol consumption. Dev. Psychobiol. 10, 435–446 (1977)
Papara-Nicholson, D., Telford, I. R.: Effects of alcohol on reproduction and fetal development in the guinea pig. Anat. Rec. 127, 438–439 (1957)
Phillips, D. S., Stainbrook, G. L.: Effects of ethyl alcohol exposure upon adult learning ability and taste preferences. Physiol. Psychol. 4, 473–475 (1976)
Pilström, L., Kiessling, K. H.: Effects of ethanol on the growth and on the liver and brain mitochondrial functions of the offspring of rats. Acta Pharmacol. Toxicol. 25, 225–232 (1967)
Sandor, S.: The influence of ethyl alcohol on the developing chick embryo. II Rev. Roum. Embryol. 5, 167–171 (1968)
Skosyreva, A. M.: The effect of ethyl alcohol on the development of embryos at the organogenesis stage. Akush. Ginekol. (Mosk) 4, 15–17 (1973)
Tze, W. J., Lee, M.: Adverse effects of maternal alcohol consumption on pregnancy and foetal growth in rats. Nature 257, 479–480 (1975)
Vincent, M. M.: The effects of prenatal alcoholism upon motivation, emotionality and learning in the rat. Am. Psychol. 13, 401 (1958)
Yanai, J., Ginsburg, B. E.: Long-term reduction of male agonisitic behaviour in mice following early exposure to ethanol. Psychopharmacology 52, 31–34 (1977)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Cutler, M.G., Ewart, F.G. & Mackintosh, J.H. Growth and behavioural effects of ethyl alcohol on the offspring of mice; a comparison with its short-term actions. Psychopharmacology 66, 35–39 (1979). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00431986
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00431986