Underage drinking: prevalence and risk factors associated with drinking experiences among Argentinean children

Juvenile variable stress modulates, in female but not in male Wistar rats, ethanol intake in adulthood

Early stress can increase vulnerability to psychopathological disorders, including substance use disorders. The effects of stress in the juvenile period of the rat, that extends between weaning and the onset of adolescence (equivalent to late human childhood), have received little attention. This study assessed short and long-term behavioral effects of juvenile stress, with a focus on effects on ethanol intake. Male and female Wistar rats were exposed to variable stress (restraint, elevated platform, forced swimming, and social instability) or to restraint stress only, between postnatal days 26 to 29 (PDs 26-29). During adolescence, patterns of anxiety (PD 31) and depression (PD 33), ethanol intake (PDs 36-45) and behavioral sensitivity to the effects of acute stress (PD 47) were evaluated. In adulthood, alcohol ingestion was assessed through two-bottle ethanol intake tests (PDs 75-85). An additional experiment measured blood ethanol levels after a limited access intake session in adolescence. Exposure to juvenile variable stress exerted very mild effects in adolescence, but reduced ethanol ingestion in adulthood, in females only. Ethanol intake during the limited access session was significantly correlated to blood alcohol levels. The results indicate that a schedule of juvenile variable stress that did not significantly alter anxiety-related behaviors induced, nonetheless, sexually dimorphic effects on ethanol intake in adulthood. Early stress exposure that reduced alcohol intake in Wistar rats has been associated with changes on brain opioid and dopamine receptors. These results highlight the impact of early stress exposure on adult female ethanol consumption and its possible underlying neurobiological changes, involving opioid and dopamine receptors.

Prevalence of parental supply of alcohol to minors: a systematic review

Parental supply of alcohol to minors (i.e. those under the legal drinking age) is often perceived by parents as protective against harms from drinking, despite evidence linking it with adverse alcohol-related outcomes. This systematic review describes the prevalence of parental supply of alcohol, as reported in the international literature. The review was registered with PROSPERO (CRD42020218754). We searched seven online databases (Medline, Embase, PsycINFO, CINAHL, Scopus, Web of Science and Public Health Database) and grey literature from January 2011 to December 2022 and assessed the risk of bias with the JBI Critical Appraisal Checklist. Among 58 articles included in narrative synthesis from 29 unique datasets, there was substantial variation in the definition and measurement of parental supply of alcohol. Overall prevalence rates ranged from 7.0 to 60.0% for minor-report samples, and from 24.0 to 48.0% for parent-report samples. Data indicate that parental supply prevalence is generally proportionately higher for older minors or later-stage students, for girls, and has increased over time among minors who report drinking. Literature on the prevalence of parental supply of alcohol is robust in quantity but inconsistent in quality and reported prevalence. Greater consistency in defining and measuring parental supply is needed to better inform health promotion initiatives aimed at increasing parents' awareness.

Are we overlooking alcohol use by younger children?

Alcohol use is a leading contributor to the burden of disease among youth. Early-onset use is associated with later life dependency, ill health and poor social functioning. Yet, research on and treatment opportunities for alcohol use among younger children are scarce. Despite knowledge that alcohol intake occurs in childhood, and the fact that children understand alcohol related norms and develop alcohol expectancies from age 4, younger children are rarely included in studies on alcohol use.Patterns of early alcohol use vary greatly across the globe and are part of complex interplays between sociocultural, economic and health-related factors. Family influence has proven important, but genetic factors do not seem to play a crucial role at this age. Stressful circumstances, including mental health problems and sociocultural factors can entice alcohol use to cope with difficult situations. The World Health Organization has developed guidelines for effective strategies to reduce the harmful use of alcohol, including preventative and treatment interventions, but important gaps in implementation remain. An increased focus on research, policy and implementation strategies related to early alcohol use is warranted, granted its wide-ranging implications for public health and social functioning. In this summary of literature on alcohol use among younger children and adolescents, we show that younger children (aged 10 and younger) tend to be systematically overlooked. However, research, interventions and policy implementation strategies need to include younger children to mitigate the global burden of harmful alcohol use more effectively.

The offspring of alcohol-exposed sires exhibit heightened ethanol intake and behavioral alterations in the elevated plus maze

Research suggests that addictive traits are indeed heritable, but very few preclinical studies have explored transgenerational effects of paternal alcohol exposure. The present study addressed this gap in knowledge. We explored whether offspring of ethanol-exposed sires would be more likely to accept ethanol than descendants of water-exposed and control sires. We also investigated whether the second generation of ethanol-exposed descendants would accept ethanol more than controls and were more or less likely to experience anxiety-like behavior in behavioral assessments. We exposed male rats to repeated binge doses of alcohol (4 g/kg/day across 8 days), water, or left them untreated and mated them with untreated females. We then bred the offspring of these rats to test transgenerational effects of paternal alcohol exposure. We tested 14-day-old offspring from the first and second filial generation for their acceptance of ethanol and water, and measured anxiety-like behavior in 38-day-old, second-generation offspring using an elevated plus maze. The results indicate that offspring of ethanol-exposed sires increase ethanol acceptance in the first generation compared to untreated controls, whereas in the second-generation increased ethanol acceptance vs. these controls is seen in descendants of both ethanol- and vehicle-treated sires. At adolescence, the second generation of rats derived from alcohol-exposed sires exhibited significantly more time spent in the open arms and significantly more arm entries than any other group. The present study suggests that parental ethanol exposure is associated with lingering effects in the infant and adolescent offspring. The second filial generation was also found to be affected, albeit similarly by grandparental ethanol exposure or by the stress of the vehicle administration.

Optimal Deep Belief Network with Opposition based Pity Beetle Algorithm for Lung Cancer Classification: A DBNOPBA Approach

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

This research proposes a successful method of extracting Gray-Level Co-occurrence Matrix (GLCM) picture handling models to classify low-and high-metastatic cancer organisms with five prevalent cancer cell line pairs, coupled with the scanning laser picture projection technique and the typical textural function, i.e. contrast, correlation, power, temperature and homogeneity. The most significant level of disease for highly metastatic cancer cells are the degree of disturbance, contrast as well as entropy refers to the energy and homogeneity. A texture classification scheme to quantify the emphysema in Computed Tomography (CT) pictures is performed. Local binary models (LBP) are used to characterize areas of concern as texture characteristics and intensity histograms. A wavelet filter is used to acquire the informative matrix of each picture and decrease the dimensionality of the function space in the suggested method. A four-layer profound creed network is also used to obtain characteristics of elevated stage. Local Tangent Space Alignment (LTSA) is then used to compress the multi-domain defect characteristics into low dimensional vectors as a dimension reduction method. An unmonitored deep-belief network (DBN) is intended for the second phase to learn the unmarked characteristics. The strategy suggested uses Opposition Based Teaching (OBL), Position Clamping (PC) and the Cauchy Mutation (CM) to improve the fundamental PBA efficiency.

METHODS

This research presents a fresh meta-heuristic algorithm called Opposition-Based Pity Beetle Algorithm (OPBA), which assesses effectiveness against state-of-the-art algorithms. OBL speeds up the convergence of the technique as both PC and CM assist OPBA with escaping local optima. The suggested algorithm was motivated by the behaviour of the beetle, which had been named six-toothed spruce bark beetle to aggregate nests and meals. This beetle can be found and harvested from weakened trees ' bark in a forest, while its populace can also infest healthy and robust trees when it exceeds the specified threshold.

RESULTS & CONCLUSION

The methodology has been evaluated on CT imagery from the Lung Image Database Consortium and Image Resources Initiative (LIDC-IDRI), with a maximum sensitivity of 96.86%, precision of 97.24%, and an accuracy of 97.92%.

"I feel good when I drink"-detecting childhood-onset alcohol abuse and dependence in a Ugandan community trial cohort

BACKGROUND

Alcohol, substance use, and mental health disorders constitute major public health issues worldwide, including in low income and lower middle-income countries, and early initiation of use is an important predictor for developing substance use disorders in later life. This study reports on the existence of childhood alcohol abuse and dependence in a sub-study of a trial cohort in Eastern Uganda.

METHODS

The project SeeTheChild-Mental Child Health in Uganda (STC) included a sub-study of the Ugandan site of the study PROMISE SB: Saving Brains in Uganda and Burkina Faso. PROMISE SB was a follow-up study of a trial birth cohort (PROMISE EBF) that estimated the effect that peer counselling for exclusive breast-feeding had on the children's cognitive functioning and mental health once they reached 5-8 years of age. The STC sub-study (N = 148) used the diagnostic tool MINI-KID to assess mental health conditions in children who scored medium and high (≥ 14) on the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) in the PROMISE SB cohort N = (119/148; 80.4%). Another 29/148 (19.6%) were recruited from the PROMISE SB cohort as a comparator with low SDQ scores (< 14). Additionally, the open-ended questions in the diagnostic history were analysed. The MINI-KID comprised diagnostic questions on alcohol abuse and dependence, and descriptive data from the sub-study are presented in this paper.

RESULTS

A total of 11/148 (7.4%) children scored positive for alcohol abuse and dependence in this study, 10 of whom had high SDQ scores (≥ 14). The 10 children with SDQ-scores ≥ 14 had a variety of mental health comorbidities of which suicidality 3/10 (30.0%) and separation anxiety disorder 5/10 (50.0%) were the most common. The one child with an SDQ score below 14 did not have any comorbidities. Access to homemade brew, carer's knowledge of the drinking, and difficult household circumstances were issues expressed in the children's diagnostic histories.

CONCLUSIONS

The discovery of alcohol abuse and dependence among 5-8 year olds in clinical interviews from a community based trial cohort was unexpected, and we recommend continued research and increased awareness of these conditions in this age group.Trial registration Trial registration for PROMISE SB: Saving Brains in Uganda and Burkina Faso: Clinicaltrials.gov (NCT01882335), 20 June 2013. Regrettably, there was a 1 month delay in the registration compared to the commenced re-inclusion in the follow-up study: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01882335?term=saving+brains&draw=2&rank=1.

Prediction of ethanol self-administration in pre-weanling, adolescent, and young adult rats

Alcohol (ethanol) use is almost normative by late adolescence, in most western countries. It is important to identify factors that distinguish those who progress from alcohol initiation to sustained use of the drug, from those that keep a controlled pattern of drinking. The factors precipitating this transition may change across development. This study analyzed associations between behavioral endophenotypes and ethanol intake at three developmental periods. Exp. 1 measured ethanol drinking at postnatal day 18, via an intraoral infusion procedure, in male or female pre-weanling rats screened for anxiety response in the light-dark box test and for distance traveled in a novel open field. Exp. 2 measured, in juvenile/adolescent or young adult rats, the association between shelter seeking, exploratory/risk-taking behaviors, anxiety or hedonic responses, and ethanol intake. Ethanol intake in pre-weanlings was explained by distance traveled in a novel environment, whereas anxiety responses, measured in the multivariate concentric square field apparatus (MSCF), selectively predicted ethanol intake at adolescence, but not at adulthood. Those juvenile/adolescents with lower mean duration of visit to areas of the MSCF that evoke anxiogenic responses exhibited heightened ethanol intake. These findings suggest that the association between anxiety and ethanol intake may be specifically relevant during adolescence.

Biparental care in C57BL/6J mice: effects on adolescent behavior and alcohol consumption

RATIONALE

Social attachment plays an important role in offspring development. Different parenting experiences during lactation may shape offspring behavior and later alcohol use.

OBJECTIVES

We tested the hypothesis that differential rearing conditions (single mother, SM or biparental, BP) in the non-monogamous C57BL/6J mice may affect (1) parental behavior during lactation, (2) adolescent behavior, and (3) adolescent initiation of alcohol drinking.

METHODS

Mice were reared in SM or BP (cohabitation of father-mother since copulation) condition until weaning (postnatal day, PND, 21). Litters from both conditions were filmed during PNDs 6, 9, and 12 and an ethogram was made taking into account nest-, pup-, or self-directed behaviors. At PNDs, 28-29 adolescent animals were evaluated in a modified version of the concentric square field for measurement of behavioral patterns. Other groups of adolescents were tested in a 4-h daily, two-bottle choice alcohol consumption test (10% alcohol vs. water) during 3 weeks (4 days per week).

RESULTS

Single mothers spent less time in the nest, left unattended the nest more times, displayed more self-directed and less pup-directed behaviors than BP parents. SM-reared adolescents displayed more anxiogenic-like and less risk-associated behaviors than BP counterparts. The alcohol consumption test indicated a strong effect of rearing condition. Since the fifth day of test, SM adolescents consumed more quantities of alcohol than BP adolescents.

CONCLUSIONS

During single-mother parenting, pups are left unattended more often, and during adolescence, these organisms exhibited increased anxiety responses. This behavioral phenotype may act as a risk factor for alcohol initiation during adolescence.

The effect of sensation seeking on alcohol use among middle school students: a latent state-trait analysis

BACKGROUND

Sensation seeking has been implicated as a major risk factor for underage alcohol use, however little research into this personality trait has been conducted among children.

OBJECTIVE

The current study examined if sensation seeking presents as a state or trait in children, and if the state or trait predicted future alcohol use.

METHODS

A latent state-trait (LST) analysis was conducted among 552 individuals (54.3% female; age range 8-13; mean age 9.3) to determine the state or trait-based aspects of sensation seeking, and if this state or trait predicted future alcohol use. Sensation seeking behavior and lifetime alcohol use were assessed at four time points using two previously validated measures.

RESULTS

Between 49.4% and 95.3% of individual differences in sensation seeking could be attributed to a stable underlying sensation seeking trait. Further, logistic regression of the stable trait of sensation seeking predicted future alcohol use. A one unit increase in the latent trait increased the odds a student would try alcohol by 7.83 times (95% CI = 1.49-41.11, p = .015). Standardized regression coefficients revealed that an increase of one standard deviation in the latent trait of sensation seeking increased the odds of experimentation with alcohol by 1.29 times (95% CI = 1.11-1.49, p = .001).

CONCLUSION

Findings suggest sensation seeking presents as a stable trait during childhood, which can cause children to seek out a novel or exciting behaviors such as alcohol use. Future substance use interventions may need to account for the influence of the underlying trait.

Prenatal ethanol induces an anxiety phenotype and alters expression of dynorphin & nociceptin/orphanin FQ genes

Animal models have suggested that prenatal ethanol exposure (PEE) alters the κ opioid receptor system. The present study investigated the brain expression of dynorphin and nociceptin/orphanin FQ related genes and assessed anxiety-like behavior in the light-dark box (LDB), shelter-seeking and risk-taking behaviors in the concentric square field (CSF) test, and ethanol-induced locomotion in the open field (OF), in infant or adolescent Wistar rats that were exposed to PEE (0.0 or 2.0 g/kg, intragastrically, gestational days 17-20). We measured brain mRNA levels of prodynorphin (PDYN), κ opioid receptors (KOR), the nociceptin/orphanin FQ opioid peptide precursor prepronociceptin (ppN/OFQ) and nociceptine/orphanin FQ receptors (NOR). Prenatal ethanol exposure upregulated PDYN and KOR mRNA levels in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) in infant and adolescent rats and KOR mRNA levels in the prefrontal cortex in infant rats. The changes in gene expression in the VTA were accompanied by a reduction of DNA methylation at the PDYN gene promoter, and by a reduction of DNA methylation at the KOR gene promoter. The PEE-induced upregulation of PDYN/KOR in the VTA was accompanied by lower NOR gene expression in the VTA, and lower PDYN gene expression in the nucleus accumbens. PEE rats exhibited hypolocomotion in the OF, greater avoidance of the white and brightly lit areas in the LDB and CSF, and greater preference for the sheltered area in the CSF test. These results suggest that PEE upregulates the dynorphin system, resulting in an anxiety-prone phenotype and triggering compensatory responses in the nociceptin/orphanin FQ system. These findings may help elucidate the mechanisms that underlie the effects of PEE and suggest that the dynorphin and nociceptin/orphanin FQ systems may be possible targets for the prevention and treatment of PEE-induced alterations.

Amphetamine, but not methylphenidate, increases ethanol intake in adolescent male, but not in female, rats

INTRODUCTION

There has been an increasing interest in analyzing the interactions between stimulants and ethanol during childhood and adolescence. Stimulants are used to treat attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in these developmental stages, during which ethanol initiation and escalation often occur.

METHODS

This study assessed the effects of repeated d-amphetamine (AMPH) or methylphenidate (MPH) treatment during adolescence [male and female Wistar rats, between postnatal day (PD) 28 to PD34, approximately] on the initiation of ethanol intake during a later section of adolescence (PD35 to PD40).

RESULTS

Amphetamine and MPH exerted reliable acute motor stimulant effects, but there was no indication of sensitized motor or anxiety responses. MPH did not affect dopamine (DA) levels, whereas AMPH significantly reduced insular levels of DA in both sexes and norepinephrine levels in females only. Repeated treatment with AMPH, but not with MPH, enhanced ethanol intake during late adolescence in male, but not in female, rats.

CONCLUSION

A short treatment with AMPH during adolescence significantly altered DA levels in the insula, both in male and females, and significantly enhanced ethanol intake in males. The present results suggest that, in adolescent males, a very brief history of AMPH exposure can facilitate the initiation of ethanol intake.

Post-weaning Environmental Enrichment, But Not Chronic Maternal Isolation, Enhanced Ethanol Intake during Periadolescence and Early Adulthood

This study analyzed ethanol intake in male and female Wistar rats exposed to maternal separation (MS) during infancy (postnatal days 1-21, PD1-21) and environmental enrichment (EE) during adolescence (PD 21-42). Previous work revealed that MS enhances ethanol consumption during adulthood. It is still unknown if a similar effect is found during adolescence. Several studies, in turn, have revealed that EE reverses stress experiences, and reduces ethanol consumption and reinforcement; although others reported greater ethanol intake after EE. The interactive effects between these treatments upon ethanol's effects and intake have yet to be explored. We assessed chronic ethanol intake and preference (12 two-bottle daily sessions, spread across 30 days, 1st session on PD46) in rats exposed to MS and EE. The main finding was that male - but not female - rats that had been exposed to EE consumed more ethanol than controls given standard housing, an effect that was not affected by MS. Subsequent experiments assessed several factors associated with heightened ethanol consumption in males exposed to MS and EE; namely taste aversive conditioning and hypnotic-sedative consequences of ethanol. We also measured anxiety response in the light-dark box and in the elevated plus maze tests; and exploratory patterns of novel stimuli and behaviors indicative of risk assessment and risk-taking, via a modified version of the concentric square field (CSF) test. Aversive conditioning, hypnosis and sleep time were similar in males exposed or not to EE. EE males, however, exhibited heightened exploration of novel stimuli and greater risk taking behaviors in the CSF test. It is likely that the promoting effect of EE upon ethanol intake was due to these effects upon exploratory and risk-taking behaviors.

Effects of ethanol exposure in a familiar or isolated context during infancy on ethanol intake during adolescence

Early exposure to ethanol affects ethanol intake later in life. This early experience encompasses exposure to social stimuli and the pharmacological and orosensory properties of ethanol. The specific contribution of each type of stimulus to subsequent ethanol intake remains unknown. We assessed the intake of various concentrations of ethanol in a familiar or isolated context during infancy and the lingering effects of this experience on ethanol intake during adolescence. On postnatal day 3 (PD3), PD7, and PD11, rats were given 5% ethanol or water in a nursing or isolated context (Experiments 1 and 2). Intake tests (ethanol vs. water) were conducted during adolescence. Experiment 2 matched the amount of fluid ingested during infancy in both contexts and subsequently tested ethanol consumption during adolescence. The results revealed a facilitative effect of the nursing context on fluid intake during the tests in infancy. Pups stimulated with ethanol but not water in the isolated context exhibited an increase in ethanol consumption during adolescence. This effect disappeared when the isolated infants were matched to receive the same amount of ethanol ingested by their nursed counterparts. In Experiment 3, isolated infant rats were exposed to different ethanol concentrations (.0%, 2.5%, 5.0%, and 10.0%), and drug consumption was tested during adolescence. This exposure increased adolescent ethanol intake, regardless of the alcohol concentration (Experiment 3). The common denominators that resulted in enhanced ethanol intake during adolescence were preexposure to ethanol via active consumption of the drug that induced a low-to-moderate level of intoxication in an isolated context.

Effect of appreciation for Indigenous cultures and exposure to racial insults on alcohol and drug use initiation among multiethnic Argentinean youth

OBJECTIVES

This study evaluated the effect of factors reflecting appreciation of Indigenous culture and racial insults on alcohol and drug use initiation among multi-ethnic youth in Jujuy, Argentina.

METHODS

Students were surveyed from 27 secondary schools that were randomly selected to represent the province. A total of 3040 eligible students in 10th grade, age 14 to 18years were surveyed in 2006 and 2660 of these same students completed surveys in 11th grade in 2007. Multivariate logistic regression models assessed the effect of appreciation for Indigenous cultures and reported exposure to racial insults in 10th grade on incident current alcohol drinking in previous 30days, binge drinking (≥5 drinks at one sitting), and lifetime drug use (marijuana, inhalants or cocaine) in 11th grade among students not reporting these behaviors in 2006.

RESULTS

In 2006, 63% of respondents reported high appreciation for Indigenous cultures and 39% had ever experienced racial insults. In 2007, incident current drinking was 24.4%, binge drinking 14.8%, and any drug use initiation was 4.1%. Exposure to racial insults increased the likelihood of binge drinking (OR=1.6; 95% CI 1.2-2.1) but was not significant for any drug use. Appreciation for Indigenous cultures reduced the risk of any drug use initiation (OR=0.5, 95% CI 0.3-0.7) but had no effect for alcohol drinking outcomes. These effects were independent of Indigenous ethnicity.

CONCLUSIONS

Enhancing appreciation for Indigenous cultures and decreasing racial insults are achievable goals that can be incorporated into programs to prevent youth substance use.

Pharmacological characterization of the nociceptin/orphanin FQ receptor on ethanol-mediated motivational effects in infant and adolescent rats

Activation of nociceptin/orphanin FQ (NOP) receptors attenuates ethanol drinking and prevents relapse in adult rodents. In younger rodents (i.e., infant rats), activation of NOP receptors blocks ethanol-induced locomotor activation but does not attenuate ethanol intake. The aim of the present study was to extend the analysis of NOP modulation of ethanol's effects during early ontogeny. Aversive and anxiolytic effects of ethanol were measured in infant and adolescent rats via conditioned taste aversion and the light-dark box test; whereas ethanol-induced locomotor activity and ethanol intake was measured in adolescents only. Before these tests, infant rats were treated with the natural ligand of NOP receptors, nociceptin (0.0, 0.5 or 1.0 μg) and adolescent rats were treated with the specific agonist Ro 64-6198 (0.0, 0.1 or 0.3 mg/kg). The activation of NOP receptors attenuated ethanol-induced anxiolysis in adolescents only, and had no effect on ethanol's aversive effects. Administration of Ro 64-6198 blocked ethanol-induced locomotor activation but did not modify ethanol intake patterns. The attenuation of ethanol stimulating and anxiolytic effect by activation of NOP receptors indicates a modulatory role of this receptor on ethanol effects, which is expressed early in ontogeny.

Parental provision of alcohol: a TPB-framed review of the literature

There is evidence that parents are a common source of alcohol provision for teenagers, and increasing evidence that this provision is associated with current and future drinking. This review examines the current literature on parental provision of alcohol to children and teenagers, through the lens of the Theory of Planned Behavior: attitudes, subjective norms and perceived behavioral control. A search of the databases ProQuest, PsycINFO, Medline, Expanded Academic, Scopus and PBSC identified 826 articles. Of these, 810 did not meet the inclusion criteria, and 16 were included in the review. In summary, the reviewed articles demonstrated positive attitudes toward parental supply of alcohol (often driven by misperceptions), strong subjective norms, but little exploration of perceived behavioral control There is a need for further research which clearly differentiates between adolescents of different ages and genders, and which explores the predictors and role of perceived behavioral control. There is also a need for further research to more fully understand this behavior and to develop appropriate interventions which address all three predictors (attitudes, subjective norms and perceived behavioral control).

Prenatal ethanol exposure alters met-enkephalin expression in brain regions related with reinforcement: possible mechanism for ethanol consumption in offspring

The endogenous opioid system is involved in ethanol reinforcement. Ethanol-induced changes in opioidergic transmission have been extensively studied in adult organisms. However, the impact of ethanol exposure at low or moderate doses during early ontogeny has been barely explored. We investigated the effect of prenatal ethanol exposure on alcohol intake and Methionine-enkephalin (Met-enk) content in rat offspring. Met-enk content was assessed in the ventral tegmental area [VTA], nucleus accumbens [NAcc], prefrontal cortex [PFC], substantia nigra [SN], caudate-putamen [CP], amygdala, hypothalamus and hippocampus. Pregnant rats were treated with ethanol (2g/kg) or water during GDs 17-20. At PDs 14 and 15, preweanlings were evaluated in an intake test (5% and 10% ethanol, or water). Met-enk content in brain regions of infants prenatally exposed to ethanol was quantitated by radioimmunoassay. Ethanol consumption was facilitated by prenatal experience with the drug, particularly in females. Met-enk content in mesocorticolimbic regions - PFC and NAcc - was increased as a consequence of prenatal exposure to ethanol. Conversely, Met-enk levels in the VTA were reduced by prenatal ethanol manipulation. Prenatal ethanol also increased peptide levels in the medial-posterior zone of the CP, and strongly augmented Met-enk content in the hippocampus and hypothalamus. These findings show that prenatal ethanol exposure stimulates consumption of the drug in infant rats, and induces selective changes in Met-enk levels in regions of the mesocorticolimbic and nigrostriatal systems, the hypothalamus and hippocampus. Our results support the role of mesocorticolimbic enkephalins in ethanol reinforcement in offspring, as has been reported in adults.

Brief prenatal ethanol exposure alters behavioral sensitivity to the kappa opioid receptor agonist (U62,066E) and antagonist (Nor-BNI) and reduces kappa opioid receptor expression

BACKGROUND

Approximately 10 to 15% of women consume alcohol (ethanol [EtOH]) during pregnancy in the United States. Even low amounts of EtOH consumption during pregnancy can elicit long-term consequences. Prenatal experience with as few as 3 drinks has been associated with increase problem drinking in adulthood. Such effects are corroborated in rodents; however, the underlying neural adaptations contributing to this effect are not clear. In the current set of experiments, we investigated whether changes in EtOH responding following prenatal EtOH exposure involved kappa opioid receptor activation and expression.

METHODS

Sprague-Dawley rats were prenatally exposed to low levels of alcohol (1.0 g/kg) during late gestation (gestational days 17 to 20 [GD17-20]) via intragastric intubation of pregnant dams. Following birth, EtOH intake, kappa- and mu-opioid-induced place conditioning, and kappa opioid receptor expression in mesolimbic brain regions were assessed in infant rats (postnatal days 14 to 15 [PD14-15]) that were offspring of dams given EtOH, vehicle, or untreated, during pregnancy.

RESULTS

Animals exposed to prenatal alcohol drank more alcohol later in life and exhibited significant changes in the kappa opioid system. While control subjects found kappa opioid activation aversive, animals exposed to EtOH prenatally exhibited either no aversion or appetitive responding. Further analysis revealed that synaptosomal kappa opioid receptor expression was significantly decreased in brain areas implicated in responding to EtOH.

CONCLUSIONS

Overall, these data suggest that prenatal EtOH affects kappa opioid function and expression and that these changes may be involved in increased drinking later in life.

Contribution of time of drinking onset and family history of alcohol problems in alcohol and drug use behaviors in Argentinean college students

AIMS

The aim of the study was to analyze independent and potential interactive effects of age at drinking onset and family history of alcohol abuse on subsequent patterns of alcohol drinking, alcohol-related problems and substance use.

METHODS

Participants were college students (60.3% females, mean age = 20.27 ± 2.54 years) from the city of Córdoba, Argentina. Several measures were used to assess alcohol, tobacco and drug use. The Spanish version of the Brief Young Adult Alcohol Consequences Questionnaire was used to assess alcohol-related problems. Factorial analyses of variance, or its non-parametric equivalent, were performed to explore differences in substance use behaviors and alcohol-related problems in subjects with early or late drinking onset and with or without family history of alcohol abuse. Chi-square tests were conducted to analyze the association between these two risk factors and categorical measures of alcohol, tobacco and drug use.

RESULTS

Early onset of drinking was associated with amount of consumption of alcohol including up to hazardous levels, as well as tobacco and drug use. However, the frequency of alcohol problems and frequency of episodes of alcohol intoxication were only related to age of onset in those with a positive family history of alcohol problems.

CONCLUSION

Delaying drinking debut is particularly important in the prevention of future alcohol problems in those adolescents who have a family history of such problems.