Ethanol‐Induced Intrauterine Growth Retardation: Correlation with Placental Glucose Transfer

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Abstract
Placental transfer of glucose and alanine analogs was studied at term in ethanol-fed and control rats. Etnanol was provided as 30% of the caloric intake throughout gestation. Control groups received isocaloric liquid diet without etnanol by pair-feeding (PF) or ad libitum (AF). On the 22nd day of pregnancy, the rats were injected with a mixture of [3H] 2-deoxyglucoe and [14C]α-aittfnoisobutyric acid. The ratios of f etakmatemal plasma radioactivities 1 hr later were used to compare placental transfer between the groups. Mean ± SE body weight of EF fetuses (4.54 ± 0.07 g) was significantly lower than that of PF (4.88 ± 0.06 g) or AF (5.17 ± 0.09 g) fetuses. Maternal etnanol ingestion reduced placental transfer of 2-deoxyglucose and a-ami-noisobutyric acid by 12% and 35%, respectively. Placental transfer of both analogs was not affected in the PF controls. The weight of EF fetuses correlated (p < 0.001) with transfer of 2-deoxyglucose to the fetus. This relationship was also found in the control groups. Fetal body weight did not show a strong correlation with a-aminoiso-butyric acid transfer. Thus, impaired transfer of glucose to the fetus may play a significant role in the growth retardation observed in fetuses of ethanol-fed rats.