Authors : Jichang Huang, Caihong Wang, Yong Liu, Fengrui Wu, Biao Ding, Xuehua Lei, Yuan Zhang, Wenyong Li and Rong Wang
Abstract: As part of the investigation of mechanisms underlying alcohol adverse effects, the epigenetic modifications caused by alcohol intake on germlines and embryos have never been explored and were the aim of the present research. Therefore, this study was designed to assess DNA methylation in sperms and oocytes and the DNA methylation of pre-implantation embryos in the condition of chronic alcohol consumption address whether alcohol ingestion are associated with genome-wide DNA level of reproduction and embryo. In this experiment, after a month with alcohol treatment, mate caged Kunming white mice were divided into four groups: group I, females without alcohol treatment (♀) x males without alcohol treatment (♂); group II, females without alcohol treatment (♀) x males with alcohol treatment (♂); group III, females with alcohol treatment (♀) x males without alcohol treatment (♂); group IV, females with alcohol treatment (♀)xmales with alcohol treatment (♂). By using immunofluorescence technique (anti-5-methylcytidine antibody) a prominent effect of alcohol on DNA methylation profiles in germlines and embryos from four groups was discovered. The results showed that alcohol had some effects on sperm motility parameters and morphological characteristics of mice. Male or female mice in chronic alcohol consumption have a reduction of global DNA methylation level in germlines with a comparison of control groups. In addition, incongruous DNA methylation of pre-implantation embryos resulted from males or females with alcohol ingestion. Researchers report here that DNA methylation of germlines disrupted by alcohol may be associated with incongruous DNA methylation of pre-implantation embryos.
Jichang Huang, Caihong Wang, Yong Liu, Fengrui Wu, Biao Ding, Xuehua Lei, Yuan Zhang, Wenyong Li and Rong Wang, 2013. Males or Females with Chronic Alcohol Consumption in Mice Could be Associated with Incorrect Genome-Wide DNA Level of Pre-Implantation Embryos. Journal of Animal and Veterinary Advances, 12: 1617-1627.