Effect of prenatal ethanol administration on the urogenital system of mice

The purpose of the present series of studies was to determine whether an obstruction in the urogenital system or vesicoureteral reflux (reflux, the retrograde passage of urine from the bladder into the kidney) existed in mice prenatally exposed to ethanol which might account for the high incidence of hydronephrosis and hydroureter observed. In order to examine these possibilities, indigo carmine was injected into the bladder of 19-day fetuses previously exposed to ethanol on Day 10 of gestation and the presence of hydronephrosis and/or reflux determined. As expected, we found a greatly increased incidence of hydronephrosis and hydroureter. In addition, there was a significant increase in reflux in the ethanol-treated mice. The incidence of reflux appeared to be related to the severity of the hydronephrosis observed, though cases of hydronephrosis without reflux and reflux without hydronephrosis were found. These data suggest both hypotheses may be salient and that a multiplicity of urogenital abnormalities are found following prenatal ethanol exposure.