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Ethanol effects on histobiochemical parameters of suckling pups borned from alcoholic rat mothers

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Abstract

Fetus and neonate growth retardation is one of the main characteristics of fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) disorders. Ethanol can be transferred to the fetus through the placenta and to newborns through suckling. This study was designed to investigate the effects of consuming different doses of ethanol during lactation on enzymatic and tissue changes and growth indices in suckling rat pups. Forty-five lactating Wistar rats with nine lactating pups each were randomly allocated to three treatment groups. The two treatment groups received 2 and 4 % v/v ethanol, while the third group was the control on distilled water for 24 days. On day 25 after birth, 30 newborn rats were randomly selected from each group and serum activity of liver enzyme markers, lactate dehydrogenase, blood urea nitrogen, creatinine, and creatine phosphokinase enzymes was measured. Pathological examinations were performed on brain, liver, and kidney tissues. The obtained data was analyzed using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Dunnett’s tests. Enzymatic activity of lactate dehydrogenase and creatinine was significantly (p < 0.05) higher in the rats that received alcohol as compared to the control. In histopathological examinations, different injuries were observed in kidney, liver, and brain tissues of suckling pups exposed to 4 % v/v ethanol. Consumption of alcohol in the lactating rats can cause irreparable effects on the suckling neonate.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Shahrekord Branch, Islamic Azad University, Shahrekord, Iran

    Mojtaba Abbasi

  2. Department of Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Shahrekord Branch, Islamic Azad University, Shahrekord, Iran

    Abdul Rasool Namjoo

  3. Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Sabzevar University of Medical Sciences, Sabzevar, Iran

    Faham Khamesipour

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  1. Mojtaba Abbasi
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  2. Abdul Rasool Namjoo
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  3. Faham Khamesipour
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Correspondence to Abdul Rasool Namjoo.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Ethical approval

This study was performed in accordance with the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals of the Islamic Azad University of Shahrekord, Iran.

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Abbasi, M., Namjoo, A. & Khamesipour, F. Ethanol effects on histobiochemical parameters of suckling pups borned from alcoholic rat mothers. Comp Clin Pathol 25, 833–839 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00580-016-2270-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00580-016-2270-9

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