Interactions between ethanol exposure during pregnancy and breastfeeding upon maternal care and metabolic profiles

PUETA, M.; ABATE, P.; HAYMAL, O.B.; SPEAR, N.E.; MOLINA, J.C.

Baltimore, Maryland

Congreso; 29th Scientific Meeting of the Research Society of Alcoholism; 2006

Research Society on Alcoholism

INTERACTIONS BETWEEN ETHANOL EXPOSURE DURING PREGNANCY AND BREASTFEEDING UPON MATERNAL CARE AND METABOLIC PROFILES.  M Pueta, P Abate, OB Haymal, NE Spear & JC Molina. Instituto Ferreyra, Fac. Psicología, UNC, Argentina & Center Developmental Psychobioly,  Binghamton University, New York. Ethanol experiences in the nursing context provide information to the progeny that leads to the establishment of memories related with the drug. Maternal behaviors are highly sensitive to EtOH's postabsorptive effects. Rat pups appear to associate ethanol's sensory cues present in maternal milk with changes in the mother's behavioral repertoire caused by the drug. Previous results indicate possible development of maternal tolerance to disruptive effects of ethanol upon behavioral repertoire. The main goal of this study intended to evaluate interactions between experiences with a low or moderate ethanol dose during pregnancy, and experiences with the drug during breastfeeding, upon maternal behavioral repertoire. Additionally, pharmacokinetic ethanol profiles were examined. Pregnant rats were given ethanol (1.0 or 2.0 g/kg, i.g) or water during late gestation (GDs 17-20). After birth (postnatal days, PDs 3-13), dams were either exposed to a subnarcoleptic ethanol dose (2.5 g/kg, i.g.) or water. Latencies to adopt a nursing position (crouching) and to retrieve all pups were scored during PDs 3 and 13. During PD 17, all dams were administered with ethanol (2.5 g/kg) and blood samples were colleted, at different postadministration intervals (5, 30, 75, 120 and 240 min). Pertinent ANOVAs indicated that latency of crouching was significantly higher when dams, without ethanol experiences during pregnancy, were administered with the drug during breastfeeding. This maternal behavioral index was different at PD 3, when comparing with the remaining experimental groups. Latency of crouching significantly decreased across the nursing period; at PD 13 differences between groups were not evident. Females exposed to ethanol during pregnancy and lactation, exhibited similar crouching latency scores than those displayed by mothers that never had experiences with the drug. A similar profile of results was observed when considering latency to retrieve all pups. Metabolic profiles showed that ethanol-treated dams, during lactation, attained significantly lower levels of blood drug concentrations than water-treated dams. Prenatal experiences with ethanol, failed to affect the pattern of distribution and elimination profiles of the drug. These results confirm previous observations relative to the acquisition of maternal tolerance to ethanol's disruptive effects upon behavioral profile related with maternal care. Of mayor importance, this study indicates that ethanol experiences with the drug, during late pregnancy, are capable to attenuate disruptive ethanol effects upon maternal behavioral patterns, especially when dams are re-exposed to the drug at the beginning of the nursing period (PD 3). Ethanol metabolic tolerance, acquired during the nursing period, has not been affected by experiences with the drug, during pregnancy.