Sm. Taylor et al., PRESSER EFFECT OF ETHANOL IN THE ISOLATED-PERFUSED HUMAN PLACENTAL LOBULE, European journal of pharmacology. Environmental toxicology and pharmacology section, 270(4), 1994, pp. 371-374
Pharmacologically relevant concentrations of ethanol (0.01-0.3 g/%) we
re perfused via the fetal circulation in isolated human placental lobu
les. This resulted in a dose-related rise in fetal arterial pressure,
which at 0.3 g/% ethanol, was 10.1+/-1.1 mmHg above the pre-drug basel
ine. The presser responses to ethanol were (i) rapid in onset, reachin
g a stable plateau within 5-10 min following administration, (ii) read
ily reversible by perfusion with drug-free media, (iii) non-tachyphyla
ctic and (iv) largely inhibited by the cyclo-oxygenase inhibitor, indo
methacin (5 mu M). This presser action of ethanol in the fetal circula
tion may contribute to the pathogenesis of the fetal alcohol syndrome
as well as represent an underlying mechanism of ethanol-induced hypert
ension.