[Experimental studies on lipoprotein metabolism in rats reared with liquid alcohol diet from the fetal life].

Recently numerous reports show deleterious effects of alcohol abuse on pregnant women giving their children a high risk of stillbirth and/or several developmental abnormalities and mental retardation, i.e. the Fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS). In the present study, the effects of maternal alcohol consumption on lipid metabolism in the litter liver were investigated in rats. These rats showed not only quite less lipid deposition in spite of large amount of alcohol consumption up to adulthood, but also showed increased FFA oxidation in the livers. In addition, increased level of very low density lipoprotein and hypoglucagonemia were found. 40 micrograms/kg of glucagon which is known as an inhibitory factor of apoprotein production in the liver, was injected for 2 weeks into the rat tail vein and resulted in apparent fatty liver and hypolipoproteinemia. Norepinephrine injection (1 mg/kg) caused plasma glucagon to be depressed in the rat as compared with adult alcohol rats. Plasma cyclic AMP response to glucagon was also depressed in these rats. From these results, it is suggested that the deranged glucagon secretion from the pancreas and lowered glucagon-induced cyclic AMP response would relate to the abnormal lipoprotein metabolism in the rat.