Comparative study of teratogenic effects of brewed beer and palm wine on fetal femur bone of albino Wistar rats

Abstract

Alcohol consumption has adverse effects on both adult and developing bones. The mechanism by which alcohol affect bone, however is unknown. The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of industrial brewed beer and palm wine on fetal femur bone. Twenty virgin female Wistar rats weighing 180-200g were used in the study. The rats were equally divided into five groups of A, B, C, D, and E. Group A served as the control, while B, C, D, and E were the experimental groups. Female rats at proestrous, determined by vaginal lavage were caged overnight with sexually matured males of the same strain. Following pregnancy, groups B and C were respectively given 4mls and 8mls of brewed beer, while groups D and E were respectively given 4mls and 8mls of fermented palm wine from 7^th -13^th day of gestation. Fetuses were collected on day 20 of gestation and the fetal bones extracted and preserved in buffered formalin, decalcified using 4% formic acid and processed for routine H and E stain. Histological study of the epiphyseal plate of the fetal bones showed reduced intercellular matrix, scattered and vacuolated cartilage cells in the experimental groups. These effects were dose-dependent and were more pronounced in the groups that received the brewed beer. These results suggest that prenatal alcohol exposure may have osteo-inhibitory effects on bones, and that industrialized brewed beer is more toxic to the developing bone.