DETECTION OF ENDOGENOUS ALCOHOL IN RAT NEONATES

HAYMAL, O.B.; ACEVEDO, M.B.; MOLINA, J.C.

CONCEPCION

Congreso; Latin American Society for Biomedical Research on Alcoholism; 2013

LATIN AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH ON ALCOHOLISM

Endogenous ethanol can be detected in different mammalian species as a function of the metabolism of endogenous acetaldehyde or due to an ?auto-brewery? production of the drug mediated by different species of yeast acting in the gastrointestinal system. Under non-pathological conditions, levels of endogenous ethanol are very low and unlikely to exert significant functional effects since the liver is capable of metabolizing the drug at a higher rate that it can be produced. Yet, the capability of the liver to metabolize ethanol negatively correlates with age (in rats see: Kelly et al., 1987). The present study was focused on the possibility of detecting levels of endogenous ethanol in rat neonates known to exhibit liver metabolic immaturity. Head-space gas chromatographic analyses were employed to determine blood ethanol levels (mg%) in Wistar-derived heterogenous pups at postnatal day (PD) 5 (n=70) or 7 (n=102). In the younger organisms (PD5), chromatographic analyses were also performed relative to possible ethanol contents in the brains. In terms of blood samples, 31.4% and 23.6% of the pups at PD 5 and PD 7, respectively; presented detectable ethanol levels (PD 5: 5.96 +/- 0.49 mg% and PD 7: 5.14 +/- 0.65 mg%). In turn, 34.3% of the younger pups presented higher levels of the drug in brain relative to those observed in systemic blood (brain levels: 10.45 +/- 1.19 mg%). These results encourage ontogenetic comparisons related with endogenous alcohol production and its functional significance due to developmental differences related with peripheral and central metabolism of the drug.