Teratogenic effects of acetaldehyde in the rat.

Acetaldehyde, the proximal metabolite of ethanol, was administered intraperitoneally in single and triple doses (50, 75, 100 mg/kg) to pregnant CF rats on days 10, 11 and 12 of gestation and fetuses were collected on day 21. Besides significant fetal resorptions, malformations were found which included edema, microcephaly, micrognathia, micromelia, hydrocephaly, exencephaly, hemorrhages etc. Somatometric measurements of fetuses (i.e. crown rump length, transumbilical distance and tail length) revealed significant growth retardation. Alizarin red-stained skeletal preparations showed considerable stunting. The placental weight and umbilical cord length were also significantly reduced. The close similarity of the pattern of acetaldehyde-induced fetal malformations with those resulting from maternal alcohol consumption during pregnancy is suggestive of the possible implication of acetaldehyde in the fetal alcohol syndrome.