Effects of maternal ethanol intake during pregnancy on fetal and maternal liver enzyme systems in Wistar rats.

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Abstract
The effects of maternal ethanol intake during pregnancy on microsomal cytochrome contents and on enzyme activities in the developing fetus were investigated. Ethanol intake in pregnant females did not affect the maternal body weight or number of fetuses but tended to reduce the mean fetal body weight; especially the fetuses from the litter of a mother who was treated with ethanol during day 0-20 of gestation showed significant decreases in the body and liver weight. No significant changes were observed in the contents of cytochrome P-450 and b5 and the activities of cytochrome c reductase and heme oxygenase in the livers of fetuses whose mothers were exposed to ethanol during pregnancy when compared with that of untreated pregnant rats. NADH-cytochrome b5 reductase activity in the fetal livers was significantly decreased by maternal ethanol intake during pregnancy.