Prenatal ethanol-exposure facilitates the expression of ethanol induced-second-order conditioning in infant rats

PAUTASSI RM; SPEAR, N.E.

Huerta Grande, Córdoba

Congreso; XXVI Congreso Anual de la Sociedad Argentina de Investigación en Neurociencia; 2011

Sociedad Argentina de Investigación en Neurociencia

PRENATAL ETHANOL-EXPOSURE FACILITATES THE EXPRESSION OF ETHANOL INDUCED-SECOND-ORDER CONDITIONING IN INFANT RATS RM Pautassi, ME Nizhnikov, NE Spear Instituto de Investigación Médica M. y M. Ferreyra (INIMEC - CONICET). Friuli 2434, Córdoba, 5000, Argentina; SUNY at Binghamton, Binghamton, NY, 13902, USA.   Epidemiological and pre-clinical studies indicate that prenatal exposure to ethanol is associated with heightened probability of problematic ethanol consumption later in life. In recent studies we have developed a second-order conditioning (SOC) place preference to analyze ethanol reinforcement. The present study assessed ethanol-induced SOC in infants rats exposed to ethanol during late gestation (maternal administration of 2.0 or 0.0 g/kg ethanol, gestational days 17 to 20). Two-week old rats derived from ethanol or vehicle-treated dams (total: 16 litters) were given ethanol (0.5, 1.0 or 2.0 g/kg) followed by the intraoral infusion of a conditioned taste stimulus (CS1). Unpaired controls were employed. The CS1 was then paired with a distinctive tactile cue (CS2, sandpaper). ANOVAs indicated ethanol-mediated reinforcement, indexed by measuring preference for the CS2 in a two-way test, in rats that had been exposed to ethanol in-utero but not in counterparts reared by vehicle-treated dams. These results suggest that prenatal experience with ethanol facilitates the acquisition of later ethanol-induced appetitive learning. These could be one the mechanisms underlying the permissive effect that prenatal ethanol exerts on later predisposition for alcohol intake.