Neurobehavioral alterations induced by third‐trimester gestation‐equivalent ethanol exposure are inhibited by folate administration

MARENGO, LEONARDO; BAREY, AGOSTINA; SALGUERO, AGUSTÍN; FABIO, MARÍA CAROLINA; CENDÁN, CRUZ MIGUEL; MORÓN?HENCHE, IGNACIO; D'ADDARIO, CLAUDIO; PAUTASSI, RICARDO MARCOS

DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOBIOLOGY

JOHN WILEY & SONS INC

Año: 2023 vol. 65

0012-1630

Prenatal ethanol exposure (PEE) causes several neurobehavioral impairments in thefetus. Postnatal days (PDs) 4–9 in rodents are considered equivalent to the thirdtrimester of gestation in humans. This period is characterized by high rates of synaptogenesis and myelination and the maturation of key structures and transmitter systems.Nutritional supplements, such as folate, have gained attention as putative treatmentsto mitigate detrimental effects of PEE. Folate is crucial for DNA synthesis and aminoacid metabolism and heightens antioxidant defenses. The present study examined neurobehavioral effects of the concurrent administration of folate (20 mg/kg/day) andethanol (5 g/kg/day) during PDs 4–9 in male and femaleWistar rats. During PDs 16–18,the rat pups were tested for anxiety-like and exploratory activity in the light–dark box(LDB), open field (OF), and concentric square field (CSF) tests. After weaning, they weretested for sucrose preference and ethanol intake. Neonatal ethanol exposure reducedbody weight in infancy but did not enhance ethanol self-administration or significantlyaffect performance in the OF or LDB. Neonatal ethanol exposure also reduced sucroseintake in the preference test and increased shelter-seeking in the CSF, and folate significantly inhibited these effects. The present findings suggest that folate, a treatmentthat is devoid of serious side effects, can ameliorate some neurobehavioral effects ofPEE.KEYWORDSadolescent rat, anhedonia, anxiety, ethanol intake, prenatal ethanol exposure, preweanling rat