MILD STRESS INDUCED BY MATERNAL MANIPULATION DURING LATE GESTATION INCREASES ETHANOL INTAKE AND THE EXPRESSION OF PRO-ENKEPHALIN AND PRO-DYNORPHIN MRNAS IN RAT INFANTS

GUTTLEIN, L.; MACCHIONE, A.F.; MOLINA, J.C.; HERNÁNDEZ-FONSECA, M.; MÉNDEZ, M.; ABATE, P.

Valencia

Congreso; 15th European Society on Biomedical Research on Alcoholism; 2015

European Society on Biomedical Research on Alcoholism

Ontogeny is a critical period in terms of developing affinity to ethanol.Additionally, early manipulations are critical factors to mediate sensitivityto ethanol?s effects. Associations between alcohol intake in infantrats and stressful events during late gestation were assessed.This work sought to characterize changes in opioid gene expressionin the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and striatum (ST). At gestational days(GDs) 17-20, rats received an intragastric administration(manipulated-Group) or were undisturbed (control-Group). At postnataldays (PDs) 14-15, pups were evaluated in terms of 0% or 5%ethanol consumption. At PD 15, blood samples and brains were collectedto measure blood ethanol levels (BEL?s) by gas chromatographyand mRNA levels by real time PCR (qPCR). Relative mRNA expressionof pro-enkephalin and pro-dynorphin were examined in the prefrontalcortex [PFC] and striatum [ST]. BEL?s in pups frommanipulated damswere higher than those achieved in control subjects.Prenatal manipulations were found to upregulate the expression ofpro-enkephalin in both regions under analysis. In addition, an ethanolexperience (5%) during infancy increased the expression of both opioidgenes in the PFC and ST. Our results suggest that a mild maternalmanipulation (i.g. intubations during late pregnancy) is enough to facilitateethanol intake in offspring. Furthermore, the infant brain issensitive to this manipulation and such exposure may lead to relativelylong-lasting and selective changes in the enkephalin and dynorphinsystems in the PFC and ST. This work was supported by grantsfrom ANPCyT (PICT 2011-0130); CONICET and SECyT-UNC.