Morphophysiological evidence for delay in puberty in female Wistar rats whose dams were exposed to alcohol during pregnancy and/or lactation

Abstract

The effect of maternal alcohol consumption on the growth of the ovary and follicle- stimulating hormone were investigated in female rat offspring whose dams were exposed to alcohol during pregnancy and/or lactation. Three groups of virgin female rats comprising of 25 each and 15 male Wistar rats were used to produce 75 female offspring used in the investigation. The offspring of group 1 served as control while the offspring of group 2 was exposed to 2 g/kg body weight of 30% ethanol (v/v) in water during pregnancy and lactation (APL) while those of group 3 were exposed to the same dose of ethanol during lactation only (AL). At Day (D)7, D14, D21, D35 and D49 of postnatal life, 5 female offspring were randomly selected from each of the three groups and sacrificed. After the sacrifice, the two ovaries were dissected out, their weights determined and processed for light microscopy. The results of the investigation showed reductions in the weights and degeneration of the granulosa cells of the ovary and steady increase in the levels of folliclestimulating hormone in the alcohol-exposed groups when compared with the control. These reductions in ovarian weights may have implications on female fertility.