Influence of Maternal Ethanol Intake on Amelogenesis

Objectives: There are many congenital defects resulting from maternal alcohol intake during pregnancy. Although the effects of alchohol intake are widely studied, there are few studies that assess the changes resulting from the ingestion of alcohol in the formation of dental tissues. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of ethanol intake during pregnancy and breastfeeding on the development of dental enamel in rat molars.
Methods: Twenty seven newborn rats were used in this study (Rattus norvegicus, albinus, Wistar). The study protocol was performed in compliance with the bioethical principles for animal research and was approved by the Ethics in Research Committee of the School of Dentistry of São José dos Campos (UNESP, Brazil).The litter came from nine female rats, previously assigned to 3 groups: Control (CG), treated with water and food ad libidum, Alcohol (AG), treated with 20%alcohol solution and food ad libidum, and Isocaloric (GI), treated with an average intake of AG . At postnatal day 5, three of each litter were killed. The maxillaries were dissected and prepared for histomorphometric analysis. Semi-serial sections from germs of the first molar were photographed. The thickness of the organic enamel was assessed and the results were submitted to statistical analysis.
Results: According to ANOVA testing, the enamel thickness average values were statistically different (p=0,001<0,05). Using Tukey test (5%), the three groups average values differed from each other. The newborn from the rats that have made alcohol chronical usage decreased enamel thickness (average 29,57+11,4µm) compared to CG (36,54+10,77µm). However, there was a higher degree of interference in enamel formation in the IG (18,72+8,05), presenting the least enamel thickness after 5 days.
Conclusions: These results suggest that despite the fact that alcohol chronic use during pregnancy has influence on amelogenesis, the diet restriction seems to compromise more significantly the formation of dental enamel.