Anderson R A
Neurobehav Toxicol Teratol. 1981 Summer;3(2):89-104.
It is well documented that children with the fetal alcohol syndrome are a direct consequence of heavy maternal ethanol consumption during pregnancy. The mechanism by which ethanol exerts its teratogenic effect is however, far from understood. Recent experimental evidence has shown alcohol to have a direct inhibitory effect on embryogenesis. Little information, however, is available concerning other factors associated with maternal drinking which may contribute to abnormal fetal development. Proper materno-fetal hormonal balance is essential to insure successful pregnancy outcome. Of particular importance with respect to normal fetal development, are the levels of placental tropic hormones; pituitary hormones such as prolactin and oxytocin; adrenal cortical hormones; both maternal and fetal thyroid hormones; maternal and fetal sex hormones; and maternal insulin. Ethanol alters the levels of a variety of hormones associated with the hypothalamic/pituitary-gonadal, -adrenal and -thyroid axes. Many of these alterations have been observed in the male, however, with little data available on the female. In spite of the known adverse effect of ethanol on certain aspects of female reproductive function, few if any studies have examined the effects of alcohol ingestion during pregnancy on maternal endocrine balance. It is hoped that the present review will provide a rationale for the examination of alcohol effects on maternal endocrine hormones, as well as to provide possible target areas with respect to fetal development subsequent to ethanol-induced endocrine imbalance.
有充分的文献记载，患有胎儿酒精综合征的儿童是母亲在怀孕期间大量饮酒的直接后果。然而，乙醇发挥其致畸作用的机制仍远未被理解。最近的实验证据表明，酒精对胚胎发育有直接抑制作用。然而，关于与母亲饮酒相关的其他可能导致胎儿发育异常的因素，目前所知甚少。适当的母胎激素平衡对于确保成功的妊娠结局至关重要。对于正常的胎儿发育而言，特别重要的是胎盘促性腺激素的水平；垂体激素，如催乳素和催产素；肾上腺皮质激素；母胎甲状腺激素；母胎性激素；以及母体胰岛素。乙醇会改变与下丘脑/垂体-性腺、-肾上腺和-甲状腺轴相关的多种激素的水平。然而，其中许多改变在男性中已被观察到，而关于女性的数据却很少。尽管已知乙醇对女性生殖功能的某些方面有不良影响，但几乎没有研究考察过怀孕期间饮酒对母体内分泌平衡的影响。希望本综述能为研究酒精对母体内分泌激素的影响提供理论依据，并为乙醇诱导的内分泌失衡后胎儿发育的可能目标领域提供参考。
