The effect of a zinc deficiency and alcohol intake during gestation in the rat

The effect of alcohol and/or zinc deficiency was evaluated in seven groups of pregnant rats and their pups. Females which had been acclimated to alcohol before breeding were fed liquid alcohol diets with either 14 or 0.1 ppm Zn. Comparisons were made with animals pair fed isocaloric liquid carbohydrate diets with the same Zn levels. Other comparisons were made by pair feeding a high zinc diet to a low zinc diet, and by feeding a high zinc diet ad lib. A reduced food intake and Zn deficiency affected maternal status by decreasing weight gain, liver Zn and plasma Zn concentration. Litter size, litter weight, and fetal liver and brain weight were decreased only in the alcohol zinc deficient group compared to adequately fed controls. The concentration and total quantity of fetal liver Zn were decreased due to a Zn deficiency. The combination of Zn deficiency and alcohol decreased only total Zn in fetal brain. The concentrations of protein, DNA, and RNA in fetal liver and brain were similar regardless of dietary treatment. The quantities of protein, DNA, and RNA were decreased in fetal liver due to Zn deficiency. ln fetal brain, only the combination of alcohol and Zn deficiency decreased total protein and RNA, while DNA was not affected. Although alcohol by itself had no effect on the above variables, its combination with a Zn deficiency did. In addition, there were 58 resorptions and 15 malformations seen in Zn deficient alcoholic dams compared with no more than 15 and 2, respectively, in any of the other groups. Teratogenesis caused by a Zn deficiency was increased with alcohol consumption.