ZINC INTESTINAL-ABSORPTION IN NEWBORN RATS AT 21 DAY POSTPARTUM - EFFECTS OF MATERNAL ETHANOL-CONSUMPTION

This study was designed to examine the effects of prenatal and postnat al exposure of ethanol in the in vivo absorption of zinc in the small intestine in newborn rats at the 21(st) day after birth. The rats were accustomed to increasing amounts of ethanol (5 to 20 %,: vol/vol) in tap water for 1 month. During pregnancy and suckling period, ethanol-f ed dams were assigned again to ethanol 20 % in drinking water. Two set s of experiments were performed. In the first set, jejunal zinc absorp tion in control group and litters nursed by dams receiving ethanol sho wed a gradual increase along with the increase of perfusion time at al l the assayed concentrations. In general, in litters of ethanol-fed da ms, jejunal zinc absorption expressed as nmol/intestinal surface was h igher than in control animals. In the second set of experiments, dista l ileum zinc absorption in offspring of ethanol-fed dams showed a sign ificantly decrease at all concentrations tested. The results showed th at intestinal parameters measured in jejunum and distal ileum of litte rs exposed to ethanol were always significantly less than in control n ewborn. These results indicate that exposure of rats to ethanol during the pregnancy and suckling period, may affect postnatal development o f intestinal functions and decrease the distal ileum zinc absorption i n pups at the end of the lactation period.