Opioid but not nonopioid stress-induced analgesia is enhanced following prenatal exposure to ethanol.
Two neurochemically distinct forms of stress-induced analgesia were examined in adult rats following prenatal ethanol exposure. Rats were exposed to ethanol during the last 2 weeks of gestation through a liquid diet presented to the dams. Analgesia testing was conducted when the offspring were 150-210 days of age. Two forms of footshock stress were administered; one that resulted in a naloxone-sensitive (opioid-mediated) analgesia and one that resulted in a naloxone-insensitive (nonopioid) form of analgesia. Rats prenatally exposed to ethanol demonstrated significantly enhanced opioid-mediated analgesia, but unaltered nonopioid analgesia compared to controls. These results confirm previous findings that prenatal exposure to ethanol leads to long-term alterations in responding to some, but not all forms of stress. The possibility that prenatal exposure to ethanol leads to perturbations in the endogenous opioid systems is discussed.
D000698:Analgesia; D000818:Animals; D004597:Electroshock / Q000379:methods; D004723:Endorphins / Q000502:physiology*; D000431:Ethanol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009270:Naloxone / Q000494:pharmacology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000187:drug effects; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000503:physiopathology*
D004723:Endorphins; D009270:Naloxone; D000431:Ethanol