Effects of maternal ethanol consumption on the ontogeny of gluconeogenesis in the perinatal period.

Ethanol-induced birth defects may be metabolic or structural. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of prenatal ethanol exposure on the ontogeny of gluconeogenic enzymes. Female rats were fed either liquid diets containing 35% ethanol-derived calories or control diets with isocaloric substitution of corn oil for ethanol. Control diets were pair-fed or given ad libitum. Animals were acclimated to the liquid diets for 7 weeks prior to breeding and the diets were continued through gestation. On day 21, at 4 hr post-caesarean section, ethanol-exposed pups exhibited reduced activities of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase and glucose-6-phosphatase when compared to pair-fed and ad libitum controls. It is concluded that prenatal ethanol exposure delays or impairs the development of gluconeogenic enzymes.