Placental and Foetal Metabolism of Acetaldehyde in Rat I. Contents of Ethanol and Acetaldehyde in Placenta and Foetus of the Pregnant Rat during Ethanol Oxidation

: Following the administration of ethanol to pregnant rats, the ethanol content of the maternal aortic blood was compared with that of the intact placenta and whole foetuses. The results support previous observations that ethanol is present in the placenta and foetus in about the same amount as in the maternal circulation. In contrast, only 25 % of the acetaldehyde content present in the maternal aortic blood could be found in the intact placenta and no acetaldehyde was found in the intact foetal tissue. These findings suggest that during maternal ethanol oxidation there is no accumulation of acetaldehyde in the foetal tissue.