Hyperactivity in preweanling rats following postnatal alcohol exposure.
Neonatal alcohol exposure in rats has been used as a model to study the effects of third-trimester alcohol consumption in humans. In the present research, male and female rat pups were artificially reared (AR) and received condensed alcohol exposure (6 g/kg/day or 4 g/kg/day) on postnatal days (PNs) 4 through 9. Controls consisted of both artificially reared animals receiving maltose-dextrin substituted for alcohol and normally reared animals. These rats were tested for open-field activity at 18 days of age for four days. Both male and female rat pups that received the high dose of alcohol (6 g/kg/day) evidenced overactivity relative to pups in both control groups. These findings extend previous work and indicate that neonatal alcohol exposure can induce hyperactivity in young male rats.
Melcer
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T
Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, CA 92120.
Gonzalez
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D
Barron
S
S
Riley
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EP
D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn / Q000502:physiology*; D000431:Ethanol / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000633:toxicity*; D005260:Female; D006948:Hyperkinesis / Q000139:chemically induced*; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D014886:Weaning
D000431:Ethanol