SEX-SPECIFIC HIPPOCAMPAL (HC)-RELATED BEHAVIORAL AND BIOCHEMICAL ALTERATIONS OBSERVED IN ADOLESCENT RATS SUBJECTED TO VOLUNTARY ETHANOL (ETOH) INTAKE AND NOISE EXPOSURE

GUELMAN, LR; MOLINA, SJ; BUJAN, GE

Modalidad Virtual

Congreso; XXXV Annual Virtual Meeting, Sociedad Argentina de Investigación en Neurociencias; 2020

Sociedad Argentina de Investigación en Neurociencias

EtOH intake in the presence of noise is usual in human adolescence. Animal modelsstudies have shown that both stimuli presented separately might have detrimental effectson the CNS, such as oxidative imbalance and behavioral alterations. Therefore, the aim ofthis work was to investigate the effects of EtOH intake and noise exposure on HC-relatedbehavioral and biochemical parameters in adolescent rats.Wistar rats (28-days-old) were subjected to 10% EtOH using the two-bottle choicedrinking-in-the-dark paradigm, during 4h/d for 4 days. After the last session, rats wereexposed to noise (95-97 dB, 2h). Finally, Open field and Y-maze tests were performed toevaluate behavior and HC tissue was dissected to assess reactive oxygen species (ROS)levels and catalase activity (CAT).Results showed a significant decrease in exploration in females and a decrease incontextual memory in males in EtOH, noise and EtOH+Noise groups when compared withcontrols. In addition, an increase in ROS levels was found after EtOH intake in female ratsand after noise exposure in males as well as in EtOH+Noise groups in both sexes. Finally,no significant changes in anxiety-like behavior and CAT were found in either group.These findings suggest that EtOH and noise exposure might produce different HC-relatedbehavioral and biochemical changes, some of which are sex-specific. Furtherinvestigations are needed to understand the biochemical mechanisms that could underliethe behavioral changes.