title: Genetic factors involved in the effects of developmental low-level alcohol induced behavioral alterations in rats.
abstract: Behavioral and neurochemical effects of perinatal alcohol exposure (3% v/v solution from Day 15 of gestation to Day 7 after parturition) have been investigated in Sardinian alcohol-preferring (sP) and alcohol-nonpreferring (sNP) rat lines, selectively bred for opposite alcohol preference and consumption. In an elevated zero-maze model of anxiety, sucrose-exposed sP rats (sP-S): (i) spent significantly less time on the open arms (TO); (ii) exhibited a significantly lower number of head dips (HDIPS); and (iii) showed a higher number of stretched attend-postures (SAP) than sucrose-exposed sNP rats (sNP-S) at 90 and 180 days of age. The two rat lines displayed different emotional reactivity in response to alcohol exposure. Subtle differences in sexual behavior and ultrasonic emission (latency to the first intromission and to the first 50 kHz call) were observed between sP-S and sNP-S rats. sP-alcohol exposed (sP-A) offspring exhibited a higher latency to the first intromission than sNP-alcohol (sNP-A) treated rats. Moreover, a lower number of sP-A rats exhibited both intromission and ejaculation with respect to sNP-A animals. sP-S rats were significantly slower in recover of the righting reflex than sNP-S animals after a challenge dose of alcohol (3 g/kg, i.p.). Perinatal alcohol did not affect either onset or duration of sleep time in either line. Neurochemical experiments have shown that perinatal alcohol did not influence basal dopamine levels or amphetamine-induced dopamine increase in the prefrontal cortex of either sP or sNP offspring. These results, showing an endpoint-specific differential sensitivity of sP and sNP lines to perinatal low alcohol exposure, indicate that genetic factors could be responsible for selective susceptibility to behavioral alterations induced by developmental treatment with this drug of abuse.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology and Human Physiology, University of Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: Raffaele
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cagiano
authors.forename: Tommaso
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Cassano
authors.forename: Addolorata
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Coluccia
authors.forename: Silvana
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gaetani
authors.forename: Arcangela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Giustino
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Steardo
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tattoli
authors.forename: Luigia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Trabace
authors.forename: Vincenzo
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Cuomo
mesh_terms: D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000235:genetics*; D000661:Amphetamine / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects*; D001923:Brain Chemistry / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics*; D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants / Q000097:blood / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004192:Discrimination, Psychological / Q000187:drug effects; D004298:Dopamine / Q000378:metabolism; D018765:Dopamine Uptake Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D000431:Ethanol / Q000097:blood / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D006702:Homing Behavior / Q000187:drug effects; D007774:Lactation / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D018782:Maze Learning / Q000187:drug effects; D017551:Microdialysis; D009714:Nucleus Accumbens / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D011247:Pregnancy; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012890:Sleep / Q000187:drug effects; D014828:Vocalization, Animal / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants; D018765:Dopamine Uptake Inhibitors; D000431:Ethanol; D000661:Amphetamine; D004298:Dopamine