Experimental studies on the influence of male alcoholism on fetal development

To study the effect of paternal chronic ethanol consumption on fetal development, an experimental rat model was established and compared to the fetal alcohol syndrome. Male and female Wistar rats were divided into 30% ethanol (E) and control groups. Before mating and during pregnancy the ethanol group and control group received E and water, respectively. Pregnancies were terminated on gestational day 21. The body weight, liver weight, blood glucose, serum insulin and cerebral CNPase activity were decreased in alcoholic males. The adverse effect of maternal chronic ethanol on fetal development was shown clearly and was not related to paternal ethanol. The adverse effect of paternal alcoholism on the fetus was shown in decreased litter size, or decreased body weight, cerebral weight and cerebral DNA, RNA and leucine incorporation into protein without a decrease in the litter size. The former finding was observed in the fetuses of aged male and female rats and latter in the fetuses of young female rats. In conclusion, both observations in our study indicate the adverse effect of paternal alcoholism on the fetal development.