Effect of maternal alcohol consumption on pre- and post-natal muscle development of mice

The effect of maternal alcohol consumption during pregnancy on muscle development of the offspring was investigated in 28 mice (14 males, 14 females) at 12 weeks of age. Both the control and alcohol-fed groups received food ad-libitum throughout the period of study. The control group received water ad-libitum also throughout the period of study. The alcohol-fed group, on the other hand, received only water up to six weeks of age. Subsequently, between 6 and 8 weeks of age they received 10% ethanol (v/v) in water and 20% ethanol (v/v) from 8 to 11 weeks age. Both groups were bred at 11 weeks of age. Following diagnosis of pregnancy, the alcohol-fed group received 30% ethanol (v/v) till delivery. The off-spring of both groups were fed water and food ad-libitum throughout the period of study. Each of the off-spring was killed at 12 weeks of age. Body weight, as well as weights of soleus, biceps brachii, long digital extensor and cranial tibial muscles were significantly smaller in off-spring of the alcohol-fed group indicating that maternal consumption of alcohol during pregnancy retards growth, as well as "catch-up growth" in both body weights and muscle mass. The smaller muscle mass, as observed from analyses of soleus muscle, resulted from retardation of muscle growth pre-natally by suppression of normal hyperplasia of muscle fibres during myogenesis and postnatally by suppression of normal hypertrophy of muscle fibres.