Pregnant rats were fed three different liquid diets with ethanol providing 33.3, 35.6 and 50.8% of the total calories. The 35.6 and 50.8% ethanol diets, containing egg white as a source of protein, were zinc deficient and were fed to two groups of rats without zinc supplementation. At each level of ethanol, one additional group was supplemented with a moderate level of zinc and another group with a high level of zinc. The 33.3% ethanol diet contained casein as a source of protein and had a high level of zinc. Each rat in the ethanol group was yoked with another rat fed a diet in which the ethanol was replaced by an isocaloric amount of carbohydrate. Records were kept of food consumed, weight gained or lost, number of pups delivered, total weight of litter, and weights of each pup. Maternal and neonatal tissues were taken for zinc and copper analyses. The rats fed ethanol diets were found to ingest the same amount of ethanol-derived calories per day regardless of diet or concentration of ethanol. On the higher level of ethanol (50.8%), the rats, therefore, ingested fewer total calories and lost weight. No pups were delivered from this group of dams. Their respective pair-fed groups, although restricted in weight gain, delivered live pups at all levels of zinc. The pups from dams fed zinc-deficient diets had lower total body zinc levels and lower liver zinc levels. Sufficient dietary zinc improved the condition of the pregnant rats and their progeny, but there were no indications that higher levels of dietary zinc resulted in further improvement.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗

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Animals↗

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Brain glycoconjugates in alcohol and narcotic research.

The glycoconjugates may be divided into three major groups: glycolipids, glycosaminoglycans and glycoproteins. The brain contains a considerable amount of glycolipid and smaller but appreciable amounts of glycoproteins and glycosaminoglycans. The alterations of the brain glucoconjugates found in conditions which affect brain function have not been extensively studied. Alcohol intoxication has been reported to increase the ganglioside content of rat brain. On the other hand lowered gangliosides and glycoproteins have been noted in brain tissue of a human alcoholic. The sialic acid levels associated with gangliosides and with glycoproteins both decreased in morphine dependent rats after withdrawal of the drug. Chronic administration of lithium increased the amount of hyaluronic acid in the cerebellum of rats, but did not affect the chondroitin sulfate level. Further investigation of the glycoconjugates as affected by alcohol and other drug abuse may provide explanations for some of the changes in brain function in these conditions.

Alcoholism↗