Short-term selection for high and low ethanol intake during adolescence yields differential levels of alcohol intake and altered anxiety responses in a concentric square field test.

FERNÁNDEZ, MACARENA SOLEDAD; ANA JIMÉNEZ GARCÍA; ANA VÁZQUEZ-AGREDOS; PAUTASSI R.M.

Granada

Congreso; III Congreso Internacional de Psicobiología; 2019

Universidad de Granada

Introduction: Most of the studies on genetic underpinnings of alcohol-related problems have focused in adult organisms,despite alcohol initiation mainly taking place at adolescence. Objectives: Determine alcohol consumption levels, beforeand after stress exposure, and anxiety responses in two lines of rats, derived from progenitors selected for drinking highor low ethanol as adolescents. Methods: 15 male Wistar rats (7 - high drinking line, 8 - low dinking line) were tested forethanol intake and preference at adulthood, for 4 weeks. Each animal had access to ad-libitum food and two bottles(water and ethanol). During week 3, the animals were exposed to 120 minutes of daily restraint stress, and ethanolintake testing resumed at week 4. Exploratory and risk-taking behaviors were analyzed, 72 hours after the last ethanolintake test,via the Multivariate concentric square field, before and after an intraperitoneal alcohol administration.Results: The rats derived from the high alcohol drinking line exhibited greater ethanol drinking than peers derived fromthe low drinking line on weeks 1 and 2, but not in week 4. High drinker ratsexhibit significantly greater risk-taking andlower shelter-seeking behaviorsthan the low drinkers, after receiving the ethanol administration. Discussion: Selectionfor high- or low alcohol drinking at adolescence induces phenotypes with divergent ethanol intake, which persist untiladulthood and are associated with alterations in risk taking and anxiety responses.