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Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Ethanol Teratogenesis in Five Inbred Strains of Mice
Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research
Published Online: 21 Apr 2009


Previous studies have demonstrated individual differences in susceptibility to the detrimental effects of prenatal ethanol exposure. Many factors, including genetic differences, have been shown to play a role in susceptibility and resistance, but few studies have investigated the range of genetic variation in rodent models.

B6 mice exposed to ethanol in utero had fetal weight deficits and digit, kidney, brain ventricle, and vertebral malformations. In contrast, 129 mice showed no teratogenesis. The remaining strains showed varying degrees of teratogenesis.

Differences among inbred strains demonstrate genetic variation in the teratogenic effects of ethanol. Identifying susceptible and resistant strains allows future studies to elucidate the genetic architecture underlying prenatal alcohol phenotypes.

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