The effect of ethanol upon early development in mice and rats. XVI. In vivo effect of acute preimplantation intoxication with beer and cognac on the background of chronic consumption.

The effect of acute preimplantation intoxication with beer and cognac on the background of chronic consumption was investigated in mice (controlled on day 4 of pregnancy) by using the following criteria: mean number of embryos/animal; oviductal-uterine migration of embryos; developmental rate; number of pathologically modified embryos. It resulted that both beverages used have a noxious effect upon preimplantation development: retardation of development, slowing down of oviductal-uterine migration and presence of pathologically modified embryos. This effect was more marked than the effect of chronic administration of these beverages in rats (1) and than the effect of ethanol administered similarly in mice (2). This difference may be due to a species difference of susceptibility, to the additional acute intoxication (for 1) or to the various congeners present in the beverages used (for 2).