Conditioned breathing depression during perinatal life as a function of associating ethanol odor and the drug?s intoxicating effects.

CULLERÉ, M.E.; ANUNZIATA, F; MOLINA, J.C.; SPEAR, N.E.; MACCHIONE, A.F.; HAYMAL, O.B.

DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOBIOLOGY

JOHN WILEY & SONS INC

Año: 2016

0012-1630

Fetal and neonatal ethanol-related alterations upon the respiratory system have been 1 described in different mammals. Studies also indicate that perinates learn about the sensory 2 attributes of ethanol and associate them with diverse physiological effects of the state of 3 intoxication. The present study was conducted in rat neonates during a developmental stage 4 equivalent to the 3rd human gestational trimester. The major goal was to analyze the 5 consequences of ethanol odor exposure, the state of intoxication or the temporal contiguity 6 between these factors upon breathing patterns. The main findings were as follows: a) a 7 conditioned breathing depression was observed following few trials defined by the 8 association between ethanol odor and the state of intoxication and b) sequential exposure to 9 ethanol sensitizes the organism to the drug´s respiratory depressant effects without affecting 10 ethanol metabolism. These results indicate that early breathing disruptions caused by ethanol 11 can be determined or modulated via learning processes.