Exposure of piglet coronary arterial muscle cells to low alcohol results in elevation of intracellular free Ca2+: relevance to fetal alcohol syndrome.

Chronic exposure of cultured piglet neonatal coronary arterial smooth muscle cells to low concentrations of ethanol (46-115 mg/dl) for 7 days resulted in concentration-dependent elevation in intracellular free Ca2+ ions ([Ca2+i); these rises (22-56%) in [Ca2+]i were not reversible upon short-term exposure to normal, Ca2(+)-containing physiological salt solution. These findings help to provide a rational basis for why ethanol can result in the well-known fetal alcohol syndrome, including cardiac defects and in-utero death.