Effects of maternal ethanol ingestion on the uptake of alpha-aminoisobutyric acid by fetal rat liver, lung and brain.

Maternal ethanol ingestion reduced the uptake of [14C]-alpha-aminoisobutyric acid (AIB) by placenta and fetal liver, lung and brain when compared with pair-fed or ad libitum-fed controls. The ratios between fetal tissue and plasma radioactivities indicated reduced AIB transport into the tissues of the ethanol-fed fetuses. Organ weights correlated with the fetal:maternal plasma 14C ratio, an indicator of the rate of placental AIB transfer, and with the tissue AIB uptake. These observations suggest that ethanol-induced growth retardation may reflect reduced nutrient availability resulting from impaired transport processes.