Effects of Caffeine Intake During Pregnancy and Lactation on the Skin of Rats and Their Offspring and Its Relationship with Maternal Serum Cortisol Levels

The study with 24 adult Wistar rats investigated the impact of caffeine intake during pregnancy and lactation on the skin of mother rats and their offspring, as well as the relationship with maternal serum cortisol levels. The rats were divided into a control group and three groups treated with 25, 50, and 100 mg/kg of caffeine. The study found that caffeine intake at 25 and 50 mg/kg resulted in skin lesions, including alopecia and hypotrichosis, in both mothers and offspring, with a higher incidence of lesions at lower doses of caffeine. These effects were independent of maternal serum cortisol levels, which were only significantly elevated in the group treated with 100 mg/kg of caffeine. The study suggests that caffeine's effects on skin lesions are not directly related to cortisol levels.