S15-2 Effects of environmental enrichment upon ethanol-induced conditioned place preference and BDNF levels in adolescent and adult mice

CAMARINI, ROSANA; SUAREZ, A.; HOFFMANN, LUCAS BARBOSA; RUEDA, ANDRÉ VELOSO; RAE, MARIANA; MARIANNO, PRISCILA; PAUTASSI, RICARDO MARCOS

Hersonissos

Congreso; 16th Congress of the European Society for Biomedical Research on Alcoholism (ESBRA); 2017

European Society for Biomedical Research on Alcoholism

Environmental enrichment (EE) has been used as a non-pharmacological tool to alter drug-induced effects. Adolescent mice differ from adults in response to ethanol-induced conditioned place preference (CPP) following a regimen of ethanol pretreatment, with adolescents but not adult mice displaying CPP to ethanol.We have now evaluated whether adolescent enriched mice differ from adult counterparts in their ethanol-CPP response. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) has been demonstrated to be involved in ethanol-rewarding effects. In this study, BDNF levels were measured in the prefrontal cortex, a region known for its protracted development. Adolescents kept in EE showed a more robust CPP to ethanol compared to animals kept in standard condition (SC). Ethanol significantly reduced BDNF levels in adolescents reared under SC, but not in adult mice nor in adolescents reared in EE housing conditions.