Effect of ethanol on immature ovine fetal breathing movements, fetal prostaglandin E2, and myometrial activity

In the mature ovine fetus, ethanol decreases fetal breathing movements (FBM), which is temporally related to increased prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) concentration, decreases blood glucose concentration, increases blood lactate concentration, and decreases uterine electromyographic (EMG) activity. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of ethanol on these variables in the immature fetal sheep. Experiments were conducted in pregnant ewes at 85-94 days of gestation (full term 147 days) that received a 1-h maternal infusion of 1 g ethanol/kg maternal body wt (n = 9) or an equivalent volume of saline (n = 5). The maximal maternal and fetal blood ethanol concentrations for the ethanol regimen were 1.305 +/- 0.165 and 1.458 +/- 0.137 mg/ml, respectively. Maternal infusion of ethanol (or saline) did not change the incidence of FBM, fetal plasma PGE2 concentration, heart rate, blood pressure, blood gases and pH, or uterine EMG activity. Ethanol decreased (P < 0.05) fetal blood glucose concentration fro...