INIMEC - CONICET   05467
INSTITUTO DE INVESTIGACION MEDICA MERCEDES Y MARTIN FERREYRA
Unidad Ejecutora - UE
congresos y reuniones científicas
Título:
High levels of stress-related ultrasounds in young rats are inhibited by the presence of ethanol odor as a function of prenatal exposure to the drug.
Autor/es:
CULLERÉ, MARCELA E.; SPEAR, NORMAN E.; MOLINA, JUAN C.
Lugar:
Concepción
Reunión:
Workshop; Alcohol and Other Drugs of Abuse: From Molecules to Human Disorders; 2013
Resumen:
Prenatal ethanol experience affects later recognition of ethanol-related chemosensory cues. Infant rats emit higher levels of Ultra Sonic Vocalizations (USVs) during anxiogenic events. In this study we analyzed USV emissions in isolated pups and adolescents with differential ethanol prenatal experiences that were confronted with ethanol-related or non-related odorants. Pregnant females received 0 or 2 g/kg ethanol during gestational days 17-20. During postnatal day 16 (PD16), while isolated, pups received either no odor, pine shaving´s odor or ethanol odor. Similarly, adolescents were tested in terms of USV emission while exposed to either No odor or ethanol odor. In both ages, pups that experienced alcohol in utero showed very high USV levels when exposed to no specific odor or pine shavings. Ethanol odor clearly inhibited this anxiogenic response apparently related with social isolation. According to prior studies it appears that ethanol prenatal treatment increases stress responses via a hyperactivation of the HPA axis. These results appear to agree with such an hypothesis given the high levels of ultrasounding that are particularly observable in prenatally treated rats under the effects of isolation. Yet, this exacerbated response elicited by social isolation is clearly inhibited when the odorant perceived in utero is again presented.