Prenatal exposure to alcohol affects the cytoskeleton in the developing rat liver

Prenatal alcohol exposure alters the liver and induces pathological changes in the morphology and function of the Golgi apparatus (GA), including an accumulation or reduced transport of newly synthesized glycoconjugates which suggests that ethanol could affect the cytoskeleton (CSK) in hepatocytes. To test this possibility we have analysed, using various techniques, the effect of ethanol "in utero" on several CSK proteins including actin, alpha- tubulin, cytokeratin, vimentin and the motor associated proteins dynein and kinesin. Our results show that this treatment increases the amount of both alpha -tubulin and cytokeratin and alters its distribution.