Alcohol consumption in adolescent rats is unaffected by previous methylphenidate exposure

CALLIARI A; PAUTASSI R.M.; RUIZ P

Buenos Aires

Congreso; 2nd Congress of the Federation of Latin-American and Caribbean Societies for Neuroscience (FALAN); 2016

Sociedad Argentina de Investigación en Neurociencias

This work studied the effect of chronic methylphenidate exposure during adolescence upon subsequent alcohol consumption. Methylphenidate (MPH) is commonly used to treat hyperactivity in children, although it can induce mania-like states in pre-clinical models. Adolescent Wistar rats, males and females, were administered MPH (0.0 or 10 mg/kg, IG) twice a day for three days, every 48 hours. They were tested after the first dose of each day in an open field test. The day after the last dosage (i.e., challenge day), all animals were given 5 mg/kg MPH and then tested for distance traveled in the open field. A four day, two-bottle alcohol consumption test began after the challenge. MPH induced motor stimulation, which was similar across sessions. During the challenge , however, animals chronically given MPH exhibited as much MPH-induced distance travelled as vehicle-treated counterparts. These groups also exhibited similar ethanol intake and preference. The present study revealed a motor stimulatory effect of methylphenidate during adolescence. This effect did not translate, however, in sensitization to a lower dose of MPH nor in greater predisposition for alcohol intake. These effects were similar in males and females.