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Effects of Inhaled Ethanol on Developmental Outcomes in Rats
Citation:
BUSHNELL, P. J., T. E. BEASLEY, C. B. COPELAND, P. A. EVANSKY, R. W. LUEBKE, S. A. MARTIN, KATHY L. MCDANIEL, V. C. MOSER, J. NORWOOD, AND J. M. ROGERS. Effects of Inhaled Ethanol on Developmental Outcomes in Rats. Presented at Society of Toxicology (SOT) Annual Meeting, San Francisco, CA, March 11 - 15, 2012.
Impact/Purpose:
Use of biofuels is increasing in the US automotive fleet. The primary alternative to petroleum fuels is ethanol, and the health risk associated with more than 10% ethanol in gasoline is uncertain. To address this uncertainty, we are assessing the effects of prenatal exposure to inhaled vapors of gasoline-ethanol blends.
Description:
Use of biofuels is increasing in the US automotive fleet. The primary alternative to petroleum fuels is ethanol, and the health risk associated with more than 10% ethanol in gasoline is uncertain. To address this uncertainty, we are assessing the effects of prenatal exposure to inhaled vapors of gasoline-ethanol blends. In this study, pregnant Long-Evans rats were exposed to vapors of ethanol (0, 5K, 10K and 21K ppm), 6 hr/day, on days 9-20 of gestation. Modeled blood ethanol concentrations in the 3 exposed groups at the end of a 6-hr exposure were 3, 8 and 195 mg/dL respectively. We focus here on behavioral (n=10/sex/grp), physiological (n=8/sex/grp) and immunological (n=5 or 6/sex/grp) evaluations of their offspring. No overt maternal toxicity was observed. No changes in litter size or weight, number, or weight gain of the pups were found. Motor activity (MA) was normal on postnatal days (PNDs) 13, 17, and 21. On PND29 and 62, offspring were evaluated with functional observational battery (FOB) and MA tests. Ethanol treatment altered the activity, neuromuscular, and sensorimotor domains of the FOB. We observed increased activity on PND62, reduced hind-limb grip strength in males on both days, and a trend towards increased sensory responsiveness in males on PND29. Not all effects were monotonically dose-related. Blood pressure (BP) and clinical chemistry were assessed on PNDs 90, 120, 150, and 180. BP was elevated in all treated males relative to controls at PND90. Smaller, non-significant increases were observed in all treated females at that age. No differences in body weight, heme status, lipoprotein profile, liver function, or urinalysis were observed at any age. Maternal exposure to ethanol did not affect cell-mediated (delayed-typed hypersensitivity) or humoral (primary antibody response) immunity in offspring ofeither sex at 6 or 10 weeks of age. Thus, even at very high exposure levels, prenatal exposure to inhaled ethanol affected some behavioral measures but little else. This abstract does not reflect EPA policy.