Abstract
Effects of genotype and ethanol consumption by pregnant mothers on hemoglobin (Hb) and red-cell levels of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), 2,3-diphosphoglycerate (DPG), and glutathione (GSH) of their progeny were studied in mice. Three lines of mice were used, one selected for high body weight, another selected for low body weight, and an unselected control. An ethanol solution [10% (v/v)] was given ad lib to the females at the time of joining them with males and continued through the pregnancy. Another group received distilled water for drinking throughout. Blood samples from the progeny of both these groups were taken at 10 weeks of age and analyzed for Hb, ATP, DPG, and GSH levels. Alcohol drinking during pregnancy resulted in lower levels of DPG in the red blood cells of progeny of the lines selected for high and low body weight and the reverse in the unselected line. Maternal alcohol consumption had no effect on Hb, ATP, and GSH levels in the red blood cells of the progeny of any of the three lines. Females of both selected lines had higher levels of DPG than males. Artificial selection for body weight resulted in a positively correlated response in the level of red-cell DPG and GSH in the progeny.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Abel, E. L. (1980). Procedural considerations in evaluating prenatal effects of alcohol in animals. Neurobehav. Toxicol. 2167.
Agar, N. S., Roberts, J., and Evans, J. V. (1972). Erythrocyte glutathione polymorphism in sheep. Aust. J. Biol. Sci. 25619.
Bartlett, P. D., Grimmett, P., Beers, L., and Shelta, S. (1956). Glutathione metabolism in normal and induced states of growth. Biochim. Biophys. Acta 2345.
Bertolini, A. M., Zuarto, Di P., and Spinnier, H. R. (1962). Variations in erythrocyte glutathione in relation to the age and sex of the individual. Acta Gerontol. 12160.
Beutler, E. (1975). Red Cell Metabolism. A Manual of Biochemical Methods II ed., Grune and Stratton, New York, pp. 112–114.
Brown, R. V., Goodman, M., and Gavan, J. A. (1970). Glutathione and transferrin in rhesus monkeys. Anim. Blood Grps. Biochem. Genet. 1189.
Brown, R. V., and Sharp, H. B., Jr. (1970). Association of transferrin and glutathione in pigeons. Anim. Blood Grps. Biochem. Genet. 1113.
Bulfield, G. (1980). The biochemical and genetical determinants of selection for growth. In Lawrence, T. L. J. (ed.), Growth in Animals Butterworths, London, pp. 11–24.
Bunn, H. F., Seal, U. S., and Scott, A. F. (1974). The role of 2,3-diphosphoglycerate in mediating hemoglobin function of mammalian red cells. Ann. N.Y. Acad. Sci. 241498.
Charkey, L. W., Hougham, D. F., and Kano, A. K. (1965). Relationship of blood and liver levels of glutathione to early growth of chicks. Poult. Sci. 44186.
Goldschmidt, L. (1970). Seasonal variations in red cell glutathione levels with aging in mental patients and normal controls. Proc. Soc. Exp. Biol. Med. 133555.
Kidwell, J. F., Wade, M. A., and Hunter, J. E. (1955). The relation of blood glutathione level to growth and body size in beef cattle. Growth 19177.
Lee, M. H., Haddad, R., and Rabe, A. (1980). Developmental improvements in the progeny of rats consuming ethanol during pregnancy. Neurobehav. Toxicol. 2189.
Leichter, J., and Lee, M. (1979). Effect of maternal ethanol administration on physical growth of the offspring in rats. Growth 43288.
Mabon, R. M. (1969). Erythrocyte glutathione and growth in the calf. Br. Vet. J. 125591.
Noble, N. A., and Brewer, G. J. (1972). Studies of the metabolic basis of the ATP-DPG differences in genetically selected High and Low ATP-DPG rat strains. In Brewer, G. J. (ed.), Hemoglobin and Red Cell Structure and Function Plenum Press, New York, pp. 155–64.
Noble, N. A., and Brewer, G. J. (1977). Identification of a major locus contributing to erythrocyte 2,3-diphosphoglycerate variability in hooded (long-Evans) rats. Genetics 854.
Noble, N. A., and Tanaka, K. R. (1981). Erythrocyte phosphofructokinase in rat strains with genetically determined differences in 2,3-diphosphoglycerate levels. Biochem. Genet. 1961.
Owens, C. A., Siegel, P. B., and Van Krey, H. P. (1970). Selection for body weight at 8 weeks of age. 7. Blood glutathione. Life Sci. 91117.
Randall, C. L., and Taylor, W. J. (1979). Prenatal ethanol exposure in mice: Teratogenic effects. Teratology 19305.
Randall, C. L., and Riley, E. P. (1981). Prenatal alcohol exposure: Current issues and the status of animal research. Neurobehav. Toxic. Teratol. 3111.
Rawat, A. K. (1976a). Effect of maternal ethanol consumption on fetal hepatic metabolism in the rat. Ann. N.Y. Acad. Sci. 273175.
Rawat, A. K. (1976b). Effect of maternal ethanol consumption on foetal and neonatal rat hepatic protein synthesis. Biochem. J. 160653.
Rawat, A. K. (1978a). Fetal alcohol syndrome: Metabolic abnormalities. Ohio State Med. J. 74109.
Rawat, A. K. (1978b). Effects of maternal ethanol consumption on hepatic lipid biosynthesis in foetal and neonatal rats. Biochem. J. 174213.
Rawat, A. K. (1980). Biochemical aspects of neuroteratogenic effects of ethanol. Neurobehav. Toxicol. 2259.
Waltman, R., and Iniquez, E. S. (1972). Placental transfer of ethanol and its elimination at term. Obstet. Gynecol. 40180.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Soliman, M.H., Agar, N.S. & Malik, R.C. Effects of genotype and maternal alcohol consumption on some biochemical parameters of red blood cells in the progeny of mice. Biochem Genet 21, 627–637 (1983). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00484451
Received:
Revised:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00484451