Further examination of neonatal learning medaited by etahnol as a function of prenatal experience with the drug.

MARCH, S.M.; ABATE P; SPEAR NE; MOLINA JC

Wasnington DC, EEUU

Congreso; 2008 Scientific Meeting of the Research Society on Alcoholism. RSA; 2008

Research Society on Alcoholism

Early experiences with ethanol have been considered a risk factor on ethanol-related problems. Several studies have shown that prenatal alcohol exposition to low and moderate doses of EtOH increase ethanol consumption further in life. Recently, we have shown that neonates prenatally exposed to EtOH, learn an operant task when they are rewarded with a 3% EtOH solution or with Sucrose+Quinine, compound that mimics ethanol sapid attributes. On the other hand, pups lacking previous experience with the drug acquired the operant response only when rewarded with water or milk (March et al., 2007). Fetuses were exposed to 0.0, 1.0 or 2.0 g/kg of EtOH during GDs 17-20. One day old-rats were trained in a FR=1 schedule. Each time an experimental pup touched a sensor key, it was rewarded by a 10ul infusion of milk, water, Sucrose+Quinine, 3%v/v, or 6% v/v of EtOH. Each time experimental pups were rewarded, control yoked subjects received equivalent reward solution. To further characterize neonates’ behavior during operant conditioning we analyze duration and frequency of bursts of activity and mouthing, in those pups evaluated in the experiment described above. General activity during the test was not affected by ethanol exposition during gestation; this result precludes understanding differences in instrumental behavior as a result of hyperactivity or hyper-reactivity in animals exposed to the drug. Experimental pups tend to be more efficient on touching the sensor key per burst of activity than yoked pups. Mouthing was increased in neonates exposed prenatally to 2.0 g/kg of EtOH when they were rewarded with a 6% EtOH solution. It is worthy to note that this ethanol solution seems to be the least palatable for pups with no prenatal history with the drug. This latter group performs more mouthing responses when confronted with water, milk and Sucrose+Quinine compound. In general terms, prenatal exposition to ethanol increased operant responses to ethanol solutions (3% and S+Q) and facial hedonics reactions to the drug (6%). In spite of not having an entire parallelism between facial reactions and operant responses, present data supports the idea that prenatal history with ethanol have a strong impact upon hedonics reaction and willingness towards ethanol.