Effect of ethanol and progesterone on monoamine oxidase activity in cultured cells of human term placenta

Ethanol and the placenta: A review

OBJECTIVE

In this paper we review published studies of alcohol exposure on placentation, placenta growth and function.

METHODS

We searched PubMed using the MeSH terms: placenta, ethanol, fetal alcohol syndrome and prenatal exposure with delayed effects. We searched the years 1996-2006 and used the references from other articles to expand our search. We limited the search to English only and human only. We excluded studies using choriocarcinoma and animal studies. We grouped the 66 papers into seven topic areas for ease of review.

RESULTS

Alcohol exposure is associated with placental dysfunction, decreased placental size, impaired blood flow and nutrient transport, endocrine changes, increased rates of stillbirth and abruption, umbilical cord vasoconstriction, and low birth weight.

CONCLUSIONS

Prenatal alcohol exposure has a broad range of adverse effects on placental development and function. Additional research on placental development from populations with heavy alcohol exposure should be encouraged. A tissue bank of placentas with detailed assessment of exposure to alcohol, smoking and other relevant data should be considered as a repository to support additional research.

Changes in brain MAO activity and glycogen levels upon chronic alcoholization of three successive generations of rats

Changes in neurobiological parameters were examined from early life (10 days post-natal) until late adulthood (8 months post-natal) in three successive generations of alcoholized rats. The mean daily consumption of alcohol by the 2nd and 3rd generation rats (7.40 +/- 0.22 and 7.70 +/- 0.20 g ethanol/kg body weight, respectively) was significantly greater than that of the 1st generation alcoholized group (4.26 +/- 0.33 g/kg). Brain/body weight ratios of alcoholized rats, 10 days post-natal, were significantly greater than controls, with 1st generation alcoholized rats presenting significantly greater brain/body weight ratios than those of the 2nd or 3rd generation, which tended toward control weights and ratios. This difference between alcoholized rats and controls persisted, although to a lesser extent, at 8 months post-natal. Glycogen content in the brains of rats of all alcoholized generations was significantly lower than in controls at 10 days post-natal, with a reversal of this situation in later life for 2nd and 3rd generation rats, which presented significantly greater cerebral glycogen levels than control or 1st generation alcoholized rats (which had an equivalent cerebral glycogen content). In 10-day-old rat pups, monoamine oxidase (MAO) activity in brain tissues had a tendency (mostly non-significant) to be greater in alcoholized rats than in controls, with a reversal of this situation, ie a statistically significant decrease in MAO activity in the 2nd and 3rd alcoholized generations with respect to controls, in 8-month-old rats. MAO activity in adrenal glands of alcoholized rats was greater than in controls at 10 days post-natal, and this difference persisted at 8 months.