Effect of prenatal ethanol administration on microvillus membrane glycosylation in developing rat intestine.

Effect of prenatal ethanol exposure has been studied on microvillus membrane glycosylation in developing rat intestine. In utero ethanol administration did not affect the gestation period but reduced litter size in ethanol-exposed group. Body weight, intestinal length and weight of pups born to ethanol-exposed rats during gestation, aged 4 to 30 days were significantly low compared to the respective controls. Total hexoses (p < 0.05) and sialic acid (p < 0.05, p < 0.01) contents of purified brush border membranes increased in pups exposed to ethanol prenatally, while the fucose content showed significant (p < 0.05, p < 0.01) decrease. The fucose-sialic acid molar ratio was also low in all age-groups of prenatally ethanol-exposed pups, compared to respective controls. The results indicate that ethanol ingestion during gestation alters the glycosylation pattern of intestine in rats, which may impair its functions during postnatal development.