REVERSAL OF MATERNAL SEPARATION, ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION, BEHAVIORAL AND HORMONAL TESTS BY ENVIRONMENT ENRICHMENT

ACOSTA GB

Melbourne

Congreso; Internacional Congress DOHaD 2019; 2019

DOHAD

Adverse events early in life have been linked to a maladaptive stress response in adulthood that can predispose individuals to psychiatric and physiological disorders. We assessed the long-term impact of colder maternal separation (RMS) and ethanol intake on both the emotional behavior or hormonal studies and their possible reversion by an environmental enrichment (EE) treatment in adolescent and adult rats focusing on voluntary alcohol intake. RMS was applied from the postnatal day (PD) 2 in which the offspring were separated from their mothers and exposed to cold stress (4 °C) 1 h per day for 20 days. Control groups remained with their mothers undisturbed. Later, all groups were exposed to voluntary ethanol (6%) or dextrose (1%) intake for 7 days. After 30 days of EE period, the animals were exposed again to a second 7 days to voluntary intake protocol. At PD66 animals underwent behavioral and hormonal testing. We found that the RMS + cold stress changed the animal?s behavior in conflict tests, increasing the exploration of aversive environments. The basal levels of adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH) and corticosterone (Cor) were also modified in our model. Exposure to an EE during adolescence reversed alcohol intake and altered the behavioural and hormonal parameters.