Induction of sister chromatid exchanges in mouse fetuses resulting from maternal alcohol consumption during pregnancy

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Abstract
Mice were force-fed ethyl alcohol at different doses, administration rates, and durations during pregnancy. A tablet of 5-bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) was implanted sub-cutaneously in the animals between the 16th and 18th day of gestation. Twenty-one hours later, the animals were killed, the fetuses removed, and the fetal liver cells treated to exhibit sister chromatid exchanges (SCE’s). The following conclusions were drawn: Ingestion of alcohol by pregnant mice induced SCE’s in the liver cells of their fetuses. The number of exchanges in the fetal cells was directly proportional to the amount of alcohol consumed by the dam in the period when BrdU was present in her blood. (3) The induction of exchanges above control level was due entirely to alcohol ingestion and was independent of exposure to BrdU, any other drug, or any dietary deficiency. There is an association between maternal alcohol consuption during pregnancy and birth defects, both in children and in experimental animals (Hansen et al., 1976; for review of animal experiments, see Sandor and Elias, 1968; Green, 1974; Warner and Rosett, 1975). While there is no direct evidence to date that any of these defects result from chromosomal damage, some