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Paternal alcohol consumption has intergenerational consequences in male offspring

  • Reproductive Physiology and Disease
  • Published:
Journal of Assisted Reproduction and Genetics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

Alcoholism is a heterogeneous set of disorders caused by ethanol intake. Harmful effects of paternal consumption on the offspring are poorly explored and not fully understood. We analyzed the effect of paternal alcohol consumption on both their own reproductive capacity and that of their male offspring.

Methods

We used a model of ethanol consumption (15% v/v in drinking water) for 12 days in adult CF-1 male mice. DNA integrity and post-translational modifications of histones were assessed in sperm; testicular weight, histology, and DNA fragmentation were analyzed. Treated or untreated male mice were mated with non-treated females to obtain two cell embryos that were cultured for 7 days; morphology and embryonic cell death were evaluated. Males of both groups were mated with non-treated females. Adult male offspring was euthanized, and sperm and testicular parameters determined.

Results

Paternal ethanol consumption caused histological and epigenetic changes, as well as damage in DNA integrity in the testicular germline and sperm. These alterations gave rise to deleterious effects on embryonic development and to testicular and spermatic changes in the offspring.

Conclusion

This study provides critical information on reproductive disturbances brought about by paternal alcohol consumption and the profound impact these could have on the male progeny. The need to explore the effects of paternal alcohol consumption in detail and warn about the importance of controlling alcohol intake for the well-being of future generations should not be underscored.

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Acknowledgements

The authors wish to acknowledge Dr. Lucrecia Piñeiro for helping us with statistical interpretation of the data and technician Zaira Naguila for her collaboration and support in handling animals, as well as all the staff of the Central Bioterio of the University of Buenos Aires.

Funding

This work was supported by a grant from Fundación Honorio Bigand, Buenos Aires, Argentina. MYC and LG are doctoral fellows, CONICET, Argentina.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. CONICET, Instituto de Biología Y Medicina Experimental (IByME), Buenos Aires, Argentina

    Maite Yael Cambiasso, Marina Romanato & Juan Carlos Calvo

  2. CONICET, Instituto de Química Biológica de La Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Y Naturales IQUIBICEN, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina

    Lucila Gotfryd, Marcelo Gabriel Stinson & Vanina Andrea Fontana

  3. Departamento de Química Biológica, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Y Naturales (UBA), Buenos Aires, Argentina

    Sol Birolo & Juan Carlos Calvo

  4. Instituto de Medicina Experimental (IMEX), CONICET Academia Nacional de Medicina, Buenos Aires, Argentina

    Gabriela Salamone

Authors
  1. Maite Yael Cambiasso
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  2. Lucila Gotfryd
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  3. Marcelo Gabriel Stinson
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  4. Sol Birolo
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  5. Gabriela Salamone
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  6. Marina Romanato
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  7. Juan Carlos Calvo
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  8. Vanina Andrea Fontana
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Contributions

MYC performed experiments, analyzed data, and wrote the paper. LG performed experiments and analyzed data. MGS was involved in animal care and treatment and language correction. SB involved in animal care and treatment. GS performed cell death experiments. MR analyzed data and corrected the paper. JCC supervised the study and corrected the paper. VAF conceived the study and wrote the paper.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Vanina Andrea Fontana.

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This study was approved by the CICUAL (Comisión Institucional de Cuidado y Uso de Animales de Laboratorio) of FCEN-UBA (Protocol Number 56/2016).

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The authors declare no competing interests.

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Cambiasso, M.Y., Gotfryd, L., Stinson, M.G. et al. Paternal alcohol consumption has intergenerational consequences in male offspring. J Assist Reprod Genet 39, 441–459 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10815-021-02373-0

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