EFFECTS OF ETHANOL ACCESS IN A NURSING OR ISOLATED CONTEXT ON INTAKE IN ADOLESCENCE

MIRANDA MORALES RS; PAUTASSI RM; HAYMAL B

Berlín

Congreso; ISBRA / ESBRA Congress 2016; 2016

International Society of Biomedical Research on Alcoholism

The present set of experiments were aimed to assess the ethanol acceptance during infancy in a familiar or isolated context and the lingering effects of ethanol pre-exposure at infancy upon adolescence ethanol consumption. In Experiment 1, infant rats were given 5% ethanol or water in a nursing or isolated context, during postnatal days (PDs) 3, 7 and 11. Nursing context consisted in exposure of pups to ethanol/water while having the opportunity to suckle from their anesthetized dam located in a housing cage. Ethanol intake was evaluated during adolescence (PDs 33-36). Experiment 2 matched the amount of fluid ingested in both contexts at infancy and subsequently ethanol consumption was tested at adolescence (PDs 33-36 and a second session was added at PDs 43-46). In Experiment 3 isolated infants were exposed to different ethanol concentrations (0, 2.5, 5.0 or 10.0%) and drug consumption was tested at adolescence. The results revealed a facilitative effect of the nursing context upon infantile fluid intake. Only ethanol intake in isolation enhanced drug consumption at adolescence. When isolated infants were matched to the same ethanol level consumed by their nursed counterparts, the effect on adolescence disappeared. Finally, exposure at infancy to a wide range of ethanol solutions in isolation increased adolescent ethanol ingestion. Common denominators that resulted in enhanced ethanol intake at adolescence were pre-exposure to ethanol via active consumption of the drug that induced a low-to-moderate level of intoxication, in an isolated context likely to induce stress. This suggests that pre-exposure to ethanol in a familiar environment may not be sufficient, by itself, to enhance predisposition for ethanol use at adolescence.