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Effects of Alcohol on Blastocyst Implantation and Fecundity in the Rat
Author(s) -
Mitchell J. A.
Publication year - 1994
Publication title -
alcoholism: clinical and experimental research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.267
H-Index - 153
eISSN - 1530-0277
pISSN - 0145-6008
DOI - 10.1111/j.1530-0277.1994.tb00876.x
Subject(s) - fecundity , blastocyst , zoology , embryo , insemination , andrology , biology , medicine , embryogenesis , sperm , population , environmental health , microbiology and biotechnology
The effects of alcohol on blastocyst implantation and fecundity were determined. Pregnant rats (insemination = day 1) received vehicle only (water), or alcohol (2 or 4 g/kg body weight) daily by feeding tube on days 1–4 and the time of implantation determined on day 5 or fecundity assessed on day 19. Implantation sites were rendered visible by the blue‐reaction; fecundity was expressed as the ratio of live fetuses to total implantations. The time course of blastocyst implantation was advanced by alcohol (2 g/kg dose). At 1000 hr, 1.9 vs. 0.9 blastocysts had implanted in treated vs. controls. By 1200 hr, 66 vs. 17% of blastocysts had implanted and by 1500 hr 90 vs. 52% had implanted in the 2 g/kg dose group vs. controls. Blastocyst implantation was not consistently advanced by the 4 g/kg dose of alcohol. The total number of blastocysts ultimately implanting did not differ between groups (control: 7:0 ± 0.9; 2 g:7.3 ± 0.9; 4 g:7.1 ± 0.5 sites/cornu at 1800 hr). Fecundity did not differ markedly between control and the 2 g/kg dose group (97 vs. 96%, respectively), but was reduced in the 4 g/kg dose group (58%). The results indicate that daily administration of alcohol (2 g/kg body weight) during the preimplantation period (days 1–4) advances the time course of blastocyst implantation without reducing fecundity.