Prenatal Alcohol Exposure's Effects On Mice's First Molar Structure

Background: Fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) is a condition caused by maternal alcohol consumption during pregnancy. These children have low birth weight, retarded growth and severe CNS consequences, including low IQ, behaviour and social difficulties. However, not all FAS children manifest the full characteristic physical appearances. With late diagnoses, the odds of adverse life outcomes are substantially increased. Enamel has been popularly used as metabolic stress indicator and its structure can be observed early in life. If a pattern of dental defects can be identified, it can be used as a diagnostic tool for this condition. Objectives: To evaluate the effect of prenatal alcohol exposure on enamel structure of mice's first molars, to use tooth structures as a tool for early diagnosis of FAS children. Methods: We used three different strains of mice: Balb/C, Swiss Webster and C57/6J. Pregnant mice at gestation day 16(G16) were intubated with either 20% alcohol (dose = 6g/kg) or with an equal volume of iso-osmotic saline solution. After 10 (three strains) and 24 hours (only Balb/C), the foetuses were removed from the anathetised mice. The separated jaws were decalcified in EDTA, embedded in paraffin, H&E stained, then analyzed with light microscopy and optical disector to assess the developmental stages. For long-term analysis, the removed teeth of euthanized baby mice at post-natal day 20 were examined under SEM. Mineral contents were calculated at three designated points on the tooth. Data was analyzed using two-way Anova. Results: the differences in tooth morphology, mineral contents, areas of ameloblasts, and tooth development stages between the control and alcohol were not statistically significant. Conclusion: One-time exposure of alcohol at G20 does not have a significant affect in tooth development. Further research can be undertaken to evaluate the vulnerability of relevant structures, especially the brain, to teratogenic substances at this stage.