Table 2.
In male fetuses, alcohol exposure reduced absolute fetal and organ weights and increased relative weights of brain and heart, while iron improved absolute brain weight.
| MALES | p Value | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CON | ALC | CON + Iron | ALC + Iron | ALC | Iron | ALC × Iron | |
| Absolute weight (g) | |||||||
| Fetus | 3.69 ± 0.28 a | 3.03 ± 0.41 b | 3.70 ± 0.28 a | 3.22 ± 0.42 b | <0.001 | 0.449 | 0.341 |
| Placenta | 0.39 ± 0.07 a | 0.35 ± 0.05 bc | 0.38 ± 0.06 ab | 0.34 ± 0.04 c | 0.012 | 0.391 | 0.497 |
| Brain | 0.16 ± 0.02 a | 0.14 ± 0.01 b | 0.15 ± 0.02 a | 0.15 ± 0.02 ab | 0.004 | 0.725 | 0.014 |
| Liver | 0.26 ± 0.05 a | 0.21 ± 0.04 b | 0.26 ± 0.04 a | 0.22 ± 0.05 b | <0.001 | 0.960 | 0.392 |
| Heart | 0.018 ± 0.002 a | 0.015 ± 0.002 b | 0.018 ± 0.002 a | 0.016 ± 0.003 ab | 0.006 | 0.668 | 0.416 |
| Placental efficiency | 9.66 ± 1.43 a | 8.70 ± 1.66 b | 9.89 ± 1.21 a | 9.28 ± 1.22 ab | 0.043 | 0.232 | 0.921 |
| Relative weight (g/100 g total body weight) | |||||||
| Brain | 4.3 ± 0.5 a | 4.8 ± 0.7 b | 4.1 ± 0.4 a | 4.7 ± 0.6 b | <0.001 | 0.408 | 0.593 |
| Liver | 7.1 ± 1.3 | 6.8 ± 1.0 | 7.0 ± 1.0 | 6.9 ± 0.9 | 0.270 | 0.824 | 0.840 |
| Heart | 0.47 ± 0.06 a | 0.50 ± 0.04 bc | 0.48 ± 0.05 ab | 0.51 ± 0.05 c | 0.002 | 0.802 | 0.884 |
| Brain to liver ratio | 0.61 ± 0.11 a | 0.72 ± 0.17 b | 0.60 ± 0.11 a | 0.70 ± 0.14 b | <0.001 | 0.833 | 0.969 |
Values are means ± SD. Means that do not share a common superscript letter differ at p < 0.05. Significant p-values are bolded. ALC, alcohol exposed; CON, control.