The purpose of the present research was to study the peculiarities of topography and structure of cranial mesenteric lymph nodes of newborn rats that were prenatally exposed to ethanol during their development. Female rats received 15% ethanol solution for 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 months preceding pregnancy and throughout it. Morphometric and routine histological methods were used. The number of lymph nodes and their cross-sectional area in the newborn rats were changed depending on the duration of maternal pregravid ethanol exposure. The minimum values of these parameters were found in rats born to females that were exposed to ethanol for three months. With the increase of ethanol exposure duration, lymph node numbers and their cross-sectional areas were increasing too. The largest numbers of lymph nodes was observed in rats born to females exposed to ethanol for four months, while the maximum cross-sectional areas was found in rats born to mothers after six month-long ethanol exposure.
