title: Acute exposure to ethanol on gestational day 15 affects social motivation of female offspring.
abstract: Alterations in social behavior are a hallmark of many neurodevelopmental disorders in humans. In rodents, social behavior is affected by prenatal insults. The outcomes are dependent on the timing of the insult as well as the sex and age of the animal tested. The limbic system is particularly important for social behavior, and a peak of neurogenesis within this system occurs on gestational day (G)15. Neurons appear particularly vulnerable to ethanol insult around the time they become post-mitotic. We tested the hypothesis that acute exposure to ethanol on G15 would result in significant social behavior deficits. Accordingly, Long Evans pregnant females were injected with ethanol (2.9 g/kg) or an equivalent volume of saline on G15. Offspring were assessed in a modified social interaction test on postnatal day (P) 28, P42, or P75, i.e., during early adolescence, late adolescence, or young adulthood. Prenatal ethanol exposure decreased social investigation in P28 females and transformed social preference into social avoidance in 75-day-old females. Contact behavior, play fighting, and locomotor activity differed as a function of age, but were not significantly affected by ethanol exposure. Males demonstrated significantly more contact behavior and play fighting at P42 than at P28 or P70, whereas there were no age-related changes in females. Adult females showed more locomotor activity than adult males. Overall, prenatal ethanol exposure on G15 enhanced social anxiety in females, with these effects seen in adulthood only.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Center for Development and Behavioral Neuroscience, Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY 13902, United States; Developmental Exposure Alcohol Research Center, Baltimore, MD 21201; Binghamton, NY 13902; Cortland, NY 13054; Syracuse, NY 13210, United States. Electronic address: varlinsk@binghamton.edu.
authors.forename: Elena I
authors.initials: EI
authors.lastname: Varlinskaya
authors.affiliation: Developmental Exposure Alcohol Research Center, Baltimore, MD 21201; Binghamton, NY 13902; Cortland, NY 13054; Syracuse, NY 13210, United States; Department of Pediatrics, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD 21201, United States; Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY 13210, United States(1). Electronic address: smooney@peds.umaryland.edu.
authors.forename: Sandra M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Mooney
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants / Q000633:toxicity*; D000431:Ethanol / Q000633:toxicity*; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D009042:Motivation / Q000187:drug effects*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D012919:Social Behavior
chemical_list: D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants; D000431:Ethanol
keywords: Adolescence; Autism; Fetal alcohol syndrome; Sex difference