INVESTIGADORES
PAUTASSI Ricardo Marcos
congresos y reuniones científicas
Título:
Assessment of maternal care behaviors in rat lines selected for high or low alcohol intake during adolescence.
Autor/es:
FERREYRA, A.; FERNANDEZ M.; SCIANGULA, M.; CHINER, F.; PAUTASSI R.M.
Lugar:
Cordoba
Reunión:
Congreso; VIII International meeting of the Latinamerican Society of Research on Alcoholism; 2017
Institución organizadora:
Latinamerican Society of Research on Alcoholism
Resumen:
The literature suggests that 50% of alcohol use disorders (AUDs) is attributable to genetic factors. In our laboratory we have produced two lines of Wistar rats, short-term selected for high (STDRHI) or low (STDRLO) alcohol consumption during adolescence. The STDRHI animals exhibited, on filial generations 1 (F1), F2 or F3 and relative to STDRLO peers, exacerbated anxiety, increased sensitivity to the stimulatory effects of alcohol and insensitivity to the aversive effects of the drug alcohol. These results suggest that the genes responsible for modulating these behavioral traits are also responsible for modulating alcohol consumption during adolescence. It is possible, however, that these differences are consequences of other differences between the lines, for example, differences in maternal care. The objective of this study was to analyze maternal behaviors in STDRHI and STDRLO F1 litters, on postnatal days (DP) 7 and 12. We assessed time spent in the nest, grooming of the pups and time adopting a breastfeeding stance. Non-maternal behaviors, such as self-licking, exploration and resting out of the nest, were also evaluated. The mothers and their pups were accommodated in new, clean cages for 60 minutes and the behavior was analyzed in 5 min on, 15 minutes off fractions. STDRHI and STDRLO dams display fairly similar sets of behaviors, although STDRHI dams exhibited, when compared to STDRLO dams, significantly greater exploration and self-licking at PD 7. These findings indicate that the behaviors aimed at the pups were relatively similar in both lines. The behavioral and alcohol intake differences between STDRHI and STDRLO rats do not seem to be related to differences in maternal care.
