Biomedical subjects

K S Spiegel

Publications and source records attributed to K S Spiegel.

5 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed1989

Maternal beer drinking: offspring growth and brain myelination.

The type of alcoholic beverage consumed by pregnant drinkers appears to influence fetal outcome. Beer drinkers are at greater risk than consumers of other alcoholic beverages for having children with fetal alcohol effects (Sixth Special Report to the U.S. Congress on Alcohol and Health, 1987). The magnitude of the risk is increased, because beer is a very popular beverage in our society. Although animal models have been developed to mimic fetal alcohol effect in humans, it is possible that stressful procedures such as intubation, and the hunger of pair-fed animals matched to animals drinking ethanol in liquid diet have interfered with obtaining a pattern of alcohol intake which closely matches that of humans. A majority of the animal models used for alcohol studies have provided ethanol for intake, rather than alcoholic beverages such as beer, which is favored by humans. Thus, a new model for voluntary beer drinking by rats is presented here for use in the study of maternal beer drinking during gestation, and the subsequent developmental consequences in the offspring. Female Long Evans rats (N = 45) were tested by beer preference and assigned to beer drinking (BR) or control groups. All animals were given standard laboratory diet and water ad libitum. BR dams were provided ad libitum access to beer. A pair-fed group (PF) was given non-alcoholic beer with dextrin added to match the caloric intake of the BR animals. Control animals (CT) were given free access to food and water. Control groups included beer preferring animals as well as non-preferring animals.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Alcohol Drinking↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Voluntary beer drinking by pregnant rats: offspring growth, development and behavior.

A new model for voluntary beer drinking during gestation is presented. Female Long-Evans rats voluntarily drank 56 ml beer per day (pregestation) and 66 ml beer per day (gestation), resulting in an ethanol intake of 9.5 g/kg/day (pregestation) and 9.0 g/kg/day (gestation). Peak blood alcohol levels of dams were 192.5 mg/dl (pregestation) and 157 mg/dl (gestation). Body weights of male and female offspring of beer drinkers were greater than controls. Urinary pH levels were abnormally low at birth, and thymus/body weight ratios were high at birth. Abnormal spleen/body ratio and heart/body ratios were observed in 15- and 29-day-old female offspring of beer drinkers. No hyperactivity or developmental delays were observed. Male offspring of dams in the beer group were hypoactive on a few days of testing. Male and female offspring of beer drinking dams performed better than controls on some tests. This method for voluntary beer drinking by pregnant rats may be useful for identifying the subtle consequences of maternal beer drinking.

Alcohol Drinking↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Voluntary beer drinking by pregnant rats: offspring sensitivity to ethanol and preference for beer.

Female Long-Evans rats were allowed voluntary access to beer, food and water for three weeks prior to mating and throughout gestation; and were compared to controls. Offspring were tested for sensitivity to ethanol and preference for beer at 29 and 85 days of age. Offspring of beer drinkers had long-term alterations in sensitivity to ethanol as adults, although rates of ethanol metabolism were unaffected. The nature of responsivity to ethanol as adults was sex-dependent. Male offspring of beer drinkers were delayed in maintaining baseline body temperature at 29 days with recovery at 85 days; and were tolerant to the hypothermic effects of ethanol at 29 and 85 days. Female offspring had prolonged latency to respond to pain and temperature; and were tolerant to the effects of ethanol on motor coordination at 29 and 85 days. Although preference of the offspring for beer was not affected by maternal beer drinking, the pattern of fluid intake by offspring of beer drinkers differed from controls.

Alcohol Drinking↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Alcoholic and nonalcoholic beer drinking during gestation: offspring growth and glucose metabolism.

Female Long-Evans rats were allowed voluntary access to beer, food and water for 52 days prior to mating, throughout mating and throughout gestation, and were compared to animals pair-fed nonalcoholic beer and to regular controls. Alcoholic beer drinkers gained more weight during gestation than drinkers of nonalcoholic beer. Significant hypoglycemia was observed in the newborn male offspring of alcoholic beer drinkers. At 20 days of age, all animals responded normally to glucose tolerance tests. At 20 days of age, liver weights of offspring of beer drinkers (alcoholic and nonalcoholic) were enlarged; pancreas weights of alcoholic beer drinkers were increased. At 65 days of age, body weights of male offspring of alcoholic beer drinkers were low. These results indicate sex differences in response to maternal beer drinking, and suggest some of the observed alterations in development were due to components in beer other than alcohol.

Aging↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Sex differences in pattern of drinking.

Drinking patterns of male and female Long-Evans rats were compared during a 15-day drinking period. All animals were tested for preference for alcohol for 24 h during which food, water, and beer containing 5% ethanol were freely available. Animals drinking 50 ml or more of beer were chosen for the experiments. On days 1-5, animals were offered food, water, and beer containing 5% ethanol (v/v). On days 6-15, the concentration of ethanol in the beer was doubled to 10% (v/v). Preference ratios (beer/total fluid) were higher for females than males, and females consumed more grams of alcohol per unit of body weight. When alcohol concentration was doubled, females increased alcohol intake (g/kg), while males tended to titrate alcohol intake to levels consumed at 5% concentration. Female patterns of drinking differed from male patterns of drinking.

Alcohol Drinking↗