Teratogenic effect of alcohol on the myocardium of laboratory animals at the stages of prenatal ontogenesis (literature review)

Abstract

Background. To date, close attention is paid to the problems of formation and development of the myocardium in general and in particular its structural components. This phenomenon is associated with an increase in cardiovascular malformations in both adults and infants. These defects can be caused by genetic factors, as well as various teratogenic substances. One such substance is alcohol. Despite the risks, many women still drink alcohol during pregnancy. The main problem is that almost half of pregnancies are unplanned, so a woman may continue to consume alcohol for several weeks before learning about her condition. Especially in young women, fertilization can occur in a state of intoxication. In addition, under the influence of ethanol, cardiac function may be impaired in the absence of structural abnormalities. Chronic alcohol intoxication causes changes in the myocardium at all levels of its structural organization. First of all, teratogenic changes caused by the action of ethanol affect the development of cardiomyocytes in the process of embryogenesis, which contributes to the underdevelopment of the structure or function of heart cells. Although the effect of maternal alcohol consumption on the fetus has been studied for decades, there are still conflicting conclusions about the severity of myocardial morphological changes depending on the time, frequency and duration of alcohol consumption. Objective: to conduct a retrospective analysis of literature sources devoted to the study of adverse effects on the fetus caused by alcohol. Methods. The paper conducted a retrospective analysis of literature references and formed an understanding of the changes in the structure of the myocardium caused by teratogenic effects of alcohol. Results and conclusion. Analysis of literature sources showed a high level of adverse effects observed in offspring born to alcoholic mothers. Detrimental effects of alcohol cause changes in the myocardium at all levels of structural organization, including its ultrastructure. It was studied that prenatal exposure to ethanol induces significant changes in relative heart weight, left ventricular wall thickness and cardiomyocyte size. Exposure to high concentrations of alcohol in experimental animals during gestation can lead to congenital heart defects, such as atrial, ventricular, and septal defects. The main manifestation of the prenatal effect of alcohol after birth is the fetal alcohol syndrome, which combines various degrees of deviation in the development of the child.