title: Maternal isolation during the first two postnatal weeks affects novelty-induced responses and sensitivity to ethanol-induced locomotor activity during infancy.
abstract: Animals exposed to chronic maternal separation (MS) exhibit enhanced ethanol self-administration and greater hormonal and behavioral responsiveness to stress in adulthood. Whether the effects of MS are immediately evident in infancy or whether they appear only later on development is still an unanswered question This study tested sensitivity to ethanol's behavioral stimulating effects in infant rats that experienced MS from postnatal Day 1-14. MS infants exhibited significantly greater reactivity to the motor stimulating effects of 1.25 g/kg ethanol than control animals, yet greater motor suppression after 2.5 g/kg ethanol. Baseline level of response to novelty was altered in MS infants, in a nor-binaltorphimine insensitive manner, that is, despite modified activity of the kappa-opioid system. These results indicate that the consequences of chronic maternal isolation emerge early in ontogeny, affecting ethanol sensitivity in infancy.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Investigación Médica M. y M. Ferreyra, INIMEC-CONICET, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, C.P., 5000, Argentina; Facultad de Psicología, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, C.P., 5000, Argentina.
authors.forename: Macarena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fernández
authors.forename: María Carolina
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Fabio
authors.forename: Michael E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Nizhnikov
authors.forename: Norman E
authors.initials: NE
authors.lastname: Spear
authors.forename: Paula
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Abate
authors.forename: Ricardo Marcos
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Pautassi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D000431:Ethanol / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D008426:Maternal Deprivation; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D009271:Naltrexone / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D009292:Narcotic Antagonists / Q000008:administration & dosage; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012646:Self Administration
chemical_list: D009292:Narcotic Antagonists; C051844:norbinaltorphimine; D000431:Ethanol; D009271:Naltrexone
keywords: ethanol; maternal isolation; preweanling; rat