Exposure of rats to alcohol in utero alters drug sensitivity in adulthood.
Pregnant rats were intubated with alcohol (ethanol, 3 grams per kilogram) twice daily throughout gestation. Control animals received solutions of isocaloric sucrose. At birth, offspring were placed with untreated surrogate dams. Beginning at 6 months of age, the offspring were tested for their thermogenic responsiveness to various drugs and to cold. Prenatal exposure to alcohol resulted in tolerance to alcohol and cross-tolerance to pentobarbital and diazepam but did not affect responsiveness to cold. This pattern of effects suggest that prenatal exposure to alcohol produces specific long-term effects on the neural mechanisms underlying drug tolerance.
D000818:Animals; D002746:Chlorpromazine / Q000494:pharmacology; D003913:Dextroamphetamine / Q000494:pharmacology; D003975:Diazepam / Q000494:pharmacology; D004342:Drug Hypersensitivity; D004361:Drug Tolerance; D000431:Ethanol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D005333:Fetus / Q000187:drug effects*; D009020:Morphine / Q000494:pharmacology; D010424:Pentobarbital / Q000494:pharmacology; D011247:Pregnancy; D051381:Rats
D000431:Ethanol; D009020:Morphine; D010424:Pentobarbital; D003975:Diazepam; D003913:Dextroamphetamine; D002746:Chlorpromazine