Figure 1. Effects of prenatal ethanol exposure on postnatal body weight and knee joint cartilage histology and function after strenuous running in adult female rat offspring.

(a) India ink staining (femoral condyle and tibial plateau, 40×); (b) Safranin O/fast green staining (knee joint, 100×; tibial cartilage, 200×); (c) Immunohistochemical analysis of collagen type II alpha 1 (Col2A1) expression (knee joint, 100×; tibial cartilage, 200×); (d) Mankin score; (e) Mean optical density (MOD) of Col2a1 expression. The results suggest that osteoarthritis susceptibility was increased in the adult offspring with intrauterine growth retardation induced by prenatal ethanol exposure (n = 5 offspring from 8 pregnant rats). (f) Postnatal body weight; (g) Rates of weight gain (n = 16 offspring from 8 pregnant rats). Body weight and the corresponding growth rate were assessed by two-way ANOVA with repeated measurements. Mean ± S.E.M.; ^*P < 0.05, ^**P < 0.01 vs. corresponding controls.