US EPA

32480 

Journal Article 

Abstract 

Effects of prenatal exposure to methanol and T-butanol in Long Evans rats 

Abel, EL; Bilitzke, PJ 

1992 

Yes 

American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology
ISSN: 0002-9378
EISSN: 1097-6868 

DART/TER/92000522 

166 

1 Pt 2 

433 

English 

Pregnant rats consumed liquid diets containing methanol (1.6%, 0.9%, 0.6% v/v) or t-butanol (10.9%, 1.3%, 0.65% v/v) beginning on gestation day B until parturition. Each group had its own pair-fed controls. After parturition mothers were put on lab chow ad lib. Methanol did not affect fecundity but reduced maternal weight gain, decreased litter sizes (from 12 to 5 pups per litter), increased perinatal mortality (from 4% to 25%) and postnatal mortality (from 0% for controls to 100% for offspring in the highest dose group), and decreased weights at weaning (or survivors in the other methanol groups. Since methanol treated animals did not differ from pair fed controls in weight gain, these effects could not be due to decreased maternal weight gain. T-butanol reduced maternal weight gain, litter sizes (from 11 to 3 pups per litter), birth weights, and weights at weaning and increased perinatal mortality (from 2% to 14%) and postnatal mortality (from 6% to 100%). These results indicate that prenatal exposure to methanol and t-butanol can result in very high postnatal mortality rates. These rates are much higher than we have previously seen in connection with prenatal alcohol exposure. Supported in part by grant P50 AA07606 from NIAAA.