Prenatal Alcohol Exposure Alters Osteoblast Gene Expression in Newborn Rats – Screening Study

Isabel Chaves Silva Carvalho*, Noala Vicensoto Moreira Milhan, Luciane Portas Capelo, Patrícia Pimentel Barros, Tamires Pereira Dutra, Antonio Olavo Cardoso Jorge, Cristina Pacheco-Soares and Rosilene Fernandes da Rocha

This study examined the impact of prenatal alcohol exposure on osteoblast gene expression in newborn rats. Sixteen Wistar rats were divided into three groups based on their diet: Alcohol, Pair-fed, and Control. Each group received the specific diet for eight weeks before breeding and during the three weeks of gestation. The newborns were euthanized on the fifth day of life, and their calvaria were processed to isolate primary osteoblasts by sequential enzymatic digestion and then cultured for 10 days. After 10 days of osteogenic cell growth, the cells were processed to extract total RNA. Osteogenesis RT Profiler Rat PCR array was used to evaluate gene expression patterns among all groups. The Control group consumed more solids and liquids than the other groups (p < 0.0001). The Control (p > 0.005) and Alcohol (p > 0.005) groups showed a tendency to weight gain, while the Pair-fed group showed a tendency to lose weight (p > 0.005). Out of 84 genes analyzed, 17 showed significant differences between the Alcohol and Pair-fed groups (p < 0.05). Of these, some were downregulated, and others upregulated in the Alcohol group compared to the Pair-fed group. In conclusion, prenatal alcohol exposure alters gene expression related to osteogenic differentiation in newborn rats, with a possible consequence on fetal skeletal development.

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Published on: Apr 10, 2026 Pages: 1-15

Full Text PDF Full Text HTML DOI: 10.17352/ijocs.000067
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