Third trimester-equivalent ethanol exposure increases anxiety-like behavior and glutamatergic transmission in the basolateral amygdala.
Ethanol consumption during pregnancy produces a wide range of morphological and behavioral alterations known as fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD). Among the behavioral deficits associated with FASD is an increased probability of developing anxiety disorders. Studies with animal models of FASD have demonstrated that ethanol exposure during the equivalent to the 1(st) and 2(nd) trimesters of human pregnancy increases anxiety-like behavior. Here, we examined the impact on this type of behavior of exposure to high doses of ethanol in vapor inhalation chambers during the rat equivalent to the human 3rd trimester of pregnancy (i.e., neonatal period in these animals). We evaluated anxiety-like behavior with the elevated plus maze. Using whole-cell patch-clamp electrophysiological techniques in brain slices, we also characterized glutamatergic and GABAergic synaptic transmission in the basolateral amygdala, a brain region that has been implicated to play a role in emotional behavior. We found that ethanol-exposed adolescent offspring preferred the closed arms over the open arms in the elevated plus maze and displayed lower head dipping activity than controls. Electrophysiological measurements showed an increase in the frequency of spontaneous and miniature excitatory postsynaptic currents in pyramidal neurons from the ethanol group. These findings suggest that high-dose ethanol exposure during the equivalent to the last trimester of human pregnancy can persistently increase excitatory synaptic inputs to principal neurons in the basolateral amygdala, leading to an increase in anxiety-like behaviors.
Department of Neurosciences, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM 87131-0001, USA.
Brian C
BC
Baculis
Department of Neurosciences, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM 87131-0001, USA; Department of Psychology, Behavioral Neuroscience Program, Binghamton University - State University of New York, Binghamton, NY 13902-6000, USA.
Marvin R
MR
Diaz
Department of Neurosciences, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM 87131-0001, USA. Electronic address: fvalenzuela@salud.unm.edu.
C Fernando
CF
Valenzuela
D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D001007:Anxiety / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000523:psychology; D066272:Basolateral Nuclear Complex / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D000431:Ethanol / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000633:toxicity; D019706:Excitatory Postsynaptic Potentials / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D018698:Glutamic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D019570:Inhalation Exposure; D008297:Male; D018782:Maze Learning / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D009924:Organ Culture Techniques; D011247:Pregnancy; D011263:Pregnancy Trimester, Third / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000523:psychology; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
D000431:Ethanol; D018698:Glutamic Acid
Amygdala; Anxiety; Basolateral; Behavior; Ethanol; Fetal; Synaptic