The effects of ethanol and silymarin treatment during gestation on spatial working memory.
BACKGROUND
Using a rat model we have found that the bioflavonoid silymarin (SY) ameliorates some of the negative consequences of in utero exposure to ethanol (EtOH). In the current study our aim was to determine if spatial working memory (SWM) was impaired in offspring whose mothers were maintained on a liquid diet containing EtOH during different gestational weeks. We also determined if SWM was altered with a concomitant administration of SY with EtOH during specific gestational weeks.


METHODS
We provided pregnant Fischer/344 rats with liquid diets containing 35% EtOH derived calories (EDC) during specific weeks of the gestational period. A silymarin/phospholipid compound containing 29.8% silybin co-administered with EtOH was also administered during specific weeks of the gestational period. We tested SWM of the offspring with a radial arm maze on postnatal day (PND) 60. After testing the rats were sacrificed and their brains perfused for later analysis.


RESULTS
We observed SWM deficits, as well as a significantly lower brain weight in female offspring born of mothers treated with EtOH during the third week of gestation in comparison to mothers treated during either the first or second weeks of gestation. Rats from any group receiving EtOH in co-administration with SY showed no significant deficits in SWM.


CONCLUSIONS
EtOH treatment during the last week of gestation had the greatest impact on SWM. The addition of SY to the EtOH liquid diet appeared to ameliorate the EtOH-induced learning deficits.
Neese
Steven
S
Department of Behavioral Sciences, New Mexico Highlands University, 117 Hewett Hall, Las Vegas, NM 87701, USA. stlneese@hotmail.com
La Grange
Linda
L
Trujillo
Elisharose
E
Romero
David
D
D000818:Animals; D001724:Birth Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology; D000431:Ethanol / Q000633:toxicity*; D005260:Female; D063647:Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders / Q000517:prevention & control; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory / Q000187:drug effects*; D009929:Organ Size / Q000187:drug effects; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; D020011:Protective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D011916:Rats, Inbred F344; D012838:Silymarin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013028:Space Perception / Q000187:drug effects*
D020011:Protective Agents; D012838:Silymarin; D000431:Ethanol