Paternal short alcohol consumption impairs the offspring health in mice

Abstract

Previously, we observed that male alcohol consumption delayed embryodifferentiation by deregulating peri-implantation events and altering embryo trophoblastand inner cell mass morphology in vitro.Objective: To evaluate the effects of paternal alcohol consumption on theoffspring in mice. Methods: CF-1 male mice were exposed (treated group) ornot (control group) to 15% (v/v) ethanol in drinking water ad libitum for 15 days. Control and treated males were mated withnon-treated CF-1 females (1:1), and pregnant females (vaginal plug: day1) were determined.Pregnancy outcome was evaluated and litter mortality, weight and size registered.Blood from adult offspring was analyzed in a Coulter counter. Then, they weresacrificed and dissected. Offspring´s spleen was weighed and analyzedhistologically. Spleen cell populations were determined by flow cytometry. Results:After 21 days of pregnancy, born mice from both groups were registered and, duringthe first week after birth, an increased number of deaths from treated group(p<0.001) were observed, when compared to control group. We found lessactivity and poor fur in those pups from treated vs. control groups, inaddition to an alteration in offspring?s weight. We performed a complete bloodanalysis in both groups and observed that platelet count was higher (p<0.05)and lymphocyte count was lower (p<0.05) in treated vs control groups. Besides,spleen CD19 population was increased (p<0.05) and CD8 and CD11b weredecreased in treated group vs controls (p<0.05 for both determinations). Thespleen histopathological analysis showed a follicular lymphoid hyperplasia ofwhite pulp. Conclusion: The paternal consumption of alcohol for a short periodin mice, affects the offspring?s health since we observed an alteration in theweight of the spleen and cell populations, probably causing a decrease in thesurvival of the litters in the first week of life.