EFFECT OF CHRONIC ETHANOL-CONSUMPTION ON THE SPONTANEOUS CONTRACTIONS, PROSTAGLANDIN PRODUCTION, TRIGLYCERIDES AND GLUCOSE-METABOLISM OF UTERINE STRIPS ISOLATED FROM PREGNANT RATS AND IN EMBRYOS

The constancy of spontaneous isometric developed tension (IDT) and the metabolism of triglycerides (TGs), U-C-14-Glucose and C-14-arachidoni c acid (C-14-AA) in uterine strips isolated from controls and from chr onic ethanol (ETOH) fed pregnant rats were explored. The studies were performed on isolated uterine strips suspended in glucose-containing a s well as a glucose-free medium. The spontaneous decrement of IDT as t ime progressed after tissue isolation and mounting was significantly h igher in tissue preparations obtained from pregnant rats drinking 20% ETOH, than the controls. This situation was evident in uterine strips isolated from rats at 10 and at 16 days of pregnancy, both in solution s containing glucose or in glucose-free conditions. On the other hand, uterine strips isolated from control rats at 7, 10 and 16 days of pre gnancy exhibited almost no decrement of IDT after 60 min of activity i n a solution containing glucose or in a glucose-free medium. The absol ute values of TGs in uteri obtained from rats drinking ETOH were signi ficantly greater (p < 0.001) than in non-drinking controls. TG levels did not differ at 0 min (initial or postisolation) to those at 60 min in control uterine preparations obtained from pregnant rats at 7, 10 o r 16 days of pregnancy and incubated either in a medium with or withou t glucose. On the contrary, in strips from ETOH-fed animals isolated o n the same day of pregnancy, TG levels determined at 60 min following isolation and mounting were significantly lower, when glucose was pres ent or absent from the suspending solution. The (CO2)-C-14 formation f rom U-C-14-Glucose in uterine preparations from control and from ETOH- fed rats sacrificed at the seventh day of pregnancy were similar. Cont rarily, at the tenth day as well as at the sixteenth day of pregnancy the formation of (CO2)-C-14 from labelled glucose in tissue from ETOH drinking rats was significantly lower than in controls (p < 0.001 resp ectively). Regarding the production of eicosanoids from C-14-AA, it wa s found that uterine strips obtained from ETOH treated rats produced s ignificantly greater amounts (than the control groups) of some prostag landins (PGs) and other prostanoids namely PGF2alpha, PGE2 and trombox ane (TX) such as TXB2. On the other hand, the formation of PGF2alpha, PGE2 and TXB2 by embryos obtained from controls and from ETOH exposed animals was similar, with the exception of 6-keto-PGF1alpha, which was found to be significantly enhanced in embryos recovered from ethanol- drinking mothers.