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Moderate Prenatal Alcohol Exposure and Quantification of Social Behavior in Adult Rats
Published on: December 14, 2014
Developmental changes in intestinal brush border enzymes of rats prenatally exposed to ethanol
Sonali Bhalla1, Kamaljit Kaur, Safrun Mahmood
1Department of Biochemistry, Panjab University, Chandigar, India.
Insights
Prenatal ethanol exposure in rats significantly alters intestinal brush border enzyme activity in pups. Lactase and sucrase decreased, while alkaline phosphatase and gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase increased, impacting postnatal development.
Area of Science:
- Biochemistry
- Developmental Biology
- Toxicology
Background:
- Prenatal exposure to ethanol can impact fetal development.
- Intestinal brush border enzymes play crucial roles in nutrient absorption.
- Understanding the long-term effects of in utero ethanol exposure is vital.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effects of prenatal ethanol exposure on brush border enzyme activities in developing rat pups.
- To determine the persistence of these changes in postnatal development.
Main Methods:
- Rats were exposed to ethanol during gestation.
- Activities of lactase, sucrase, alkaline phosphatase (AP), and gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (gamma-GTP) were measured in intestinal brush border membranes at various postnatal days.
- Western blot analysis and kinetic studies (Vmax, Km) were performed.
Main Results:
- Prenatal ethanol exposure reduced lactase and sucrase activity.
- Alkaline phosphatase and gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase activities were significantly enhanced in early postnatal development but normalized by day 30.
- Kinetic studies indicated changes in Vmax but not apparent Km.
Conclusions:
- In utero ethanol exposure is embryotoxic and disrupts the normal development of intestinal brush border enzymes.
- These enzyme alterations can persist long after ethanol withdrawal before birth.
- Findings highlight the detrimental impact of prenatal alcohol exposure on gastrointestinal development.
Abstract:
The activities of lactase, sucrase, alkaline phosphatase (AP) and y-glutamyl transpeptidase (gamma-GTP) were studied in the intestinal brush border membranes of pups born to rat mothers exposed to ethanol (1 ml of 30% ethanol daily during gestation) at different days of postnatal development. The activities of lactase (at day 4-20) and sucrase (at day 20-30) were considerably reduced in response to prenatal exposure to ethanol, while AP (at day 4-30) and gamma-GTP activities were significantly enhanced (p < 0.05) at day 4, 8, 14 and 20, but there was no significant difference by day 30 of postnatal development. The observed changes in enzyme activities were corroborated by Western blot analysis of lactase, sucrase and AP. Kinetic studies revealed a change in Vmax without affecting apparent Km of enzymes under these conditions. The present findings suggest that in utero ethanol exposure to rats is embryotoxic and affects the postnatal development of various brush border enzymes, which persist long after the ethanol was withdrawn prior to birth.
