1
|
Miranda-Morales RS, D'Aloisio G, Anunziata F, Abate P, Molina JC. Fetal Alcohol Programming of Subsequent Alcohol Affinity: A Review Based on Preclinical, Clinical and Epidemiological Studies. Front Behav Neurosci 2020; 14:33. [PMID: 32210775 PMCID: PMC7077749 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2020.00033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2019] [Accepted: 02/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The anatomo-physiological disruptions inherent to different categories of the Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder do not encompass all the negative consequences derived from intrauterine ethanol (EtOH) exposure. Preclinical, clinical and epidemiological studies show that prenatal EtOH exposure also results in early programming of alcohol affinity. This affinity has been addressed through the examination of how EtOH prenatally exposed organisms recognize and prefer the drug’s chemosensory cues and their predisposition to exhibit heightened voluntary EtOH intake during infancy and adolescence. In altricial species these processes are determined by the interaction of at least three factors during stages equivalent to the 2nd and 3rd human gestational trimester: (i) fetal processing of the drug’s olfactory and gustatory attributes present in the prenatal milieu; (ii) EtOH’s recruitment of central reinforcing effects that also imply progressive sensitization to the drug’s motivational properties; and (iii) an associative learning process involving the prior two factors. This Pavlovian learning phenomenon is dependent upon the recruitment of the opioid system and studies also indicate a significant role of EtOH’s principal metabolite (acetaldehyde, ACD) which is rapidly generated in the brain via the catalase system. The central and rapid accumulation of this metabolite represents a major factor involved in the process of fetal alcohol programming. According to recent investigations, it appears that ACD exerts early positive reinforcing consequences and antianxiety effects (negative reinforcement). Finally, this review also acknowledges human clinical and epidemiological studies indicating that moderate and binge-like drinking episodes during gestation result in neonatal recognition of EtOH’s chemosensory properties coupled with a preference towards these cues. As a whole, the studies under discussion emphasize the notion that even subteratogenic EtOH exposure during fetal life seizes early functional sensory and learning capabilities that pathologically shape subsequent physiological and behavioral reactivity towards the drug.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Roberto Sebastián Miranda-Morales
- Instituto de Investigación Médica Mercedes y Martín Ferreyra, INIMEC-CONICET- Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina.,Facultad de Psicología, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Genesis D'Aloisio
- Instituto de Investigación Médica Mercedes y Martín Ferreyra, INIMEC-CONICET- Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Florencia Anunziata
- Instituto de Investigación Médica Mercedes y Martín Ferreyra, INIMEC-CONICET- Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Paula Abate
- Instituto de Investigaciones Psicológicas, Facultad de Psicología, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Juan Carlos Molina
- Instituto de Investigación Médica Mercedes y Martín Ferreyra, INIMEC-CONICET- Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina.,Facultad de Psicología, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Prenatal ethanol exposure alters met-enkephalin expression in brain regions related with reinforcement: possible mechanism for ethanol consumption in offspring. Behav Brain Res 2014; 274:194-204. [PMID: 25150040 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2014.08.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2014] [Revised: 08/07/2014] [Accepted: 08/11/2014] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
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.
Collapse
|
3
|
Culleré ME, Spear NE, Molina JC. Prenatal ethanol increases sucrose reinforcement, an effect strengthened by postnatal association of ethanol and sucrose. Alcohol 2014; 48:25-33. [PMID: 24398347 DOI: 10.1016/j.alcohol.2013.11.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2013] [Revised: 11/16/2013] [Accepted: 11/17/2013] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Late prenatal exposure to ethanol recruits sensory processing of the drug and of its motivational properties, an experience that leads to heightened ethanol affinity. Recent studies indicate common sensory and neurobiological substrates between this drug and sweet tastants. Using a recently developed operant conditioning technique for infant rats, we examined the effects of prenatal ethanol history upon sucrose self-administration (postnatal days, PDs 14-17). Prior to the last conditioning session, a low (0.5 g/kg) or a high (2.5 g/kg) ethanol dose were paired with sucrose. The intention was to determine if ethanol would inflate or devalue the reinforcing capability of the tastant and if these effects are dependent upon prenatal ethanol history. Male and female pups prenatally exposed to ethanol (2.0 g/kg) responded more when reinforced with sucrose than pups lacking this antenatal experience. Independently of prenatal status, a low ethanol dose (0.5 g/kg) enhanced the reinforcing capability of sucrose while the highest dose (2.5 g/kg) seemed to ameliorate the motivational properties of the tastant. During extinction (PD 18), two factors were critical in determining persistence of responding despite reinforcement omission. Pups prenatally exposed to ethanol that subsequently experienced the low ethanol dose paired with sucrose, showed higher resistance to extinction. The effects here reported were not associated with differential blood alcohol levels across prenatal treatments. These results indicate that fetal ethanol experience promotes affinity for a natural sweet reinforcer and that low doses of ethanol are also capable of enhancing the positive motivational consequences of sucrose when ethanol and sucrose are paired during infancy.
Collapse
|
4
|
Miranda-Morales RS, Spear NE, Nizhnikov ME, Molina JC, Abate P. Role of mu, delta and kappa opioid receptors in ethanol-reinforced operant responding in infant rats. Behav Brain Res 2012; 234:267-77. [PMID: 22789403 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2012.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2012] [Revised: 06/30/2012] [Accepted: 07/04/2012] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
We recently observed that naloxone, a non-specific opioid antagonist, attenuated operant responding to ethanol in infant rats. Through the use of an operant conditioning technique, we aimed to analyze the specific participation of mu, delta, and kappa opioid receptors on ethanol reinforcement during the second postnatal week. In Experiment 1, infant rats (PDs 14-17) were trained to obtain 5, 7.5, 10, or 15% ethanol, by operant nose-poking. Experiment 2 tested blood ethanol levels (BELs) attained by operant behavior. In Experiment 3, at PDs 16-18, rats received CTOP (mu antagonist: 0.1 or 1.0 mg/kg), naltrindole (delta antagonist: 1.0 or 5.0 mg/kg) or saline before training. In Experiment 4, rats received nor-binaltorphimine (kappa antagonist: 10.0 or 30.0 mg/kg, a single injection after completion of PD 15 operant training), spiradoline mesylate (kappa agonist: 1.0 or 5.0 mg/kg; at PDs 16-18) or saline (PDs 16-18), before the conditioning. Experiments 5 and 6 assessed possible side effects of opioid drugs in locomotor activity (LA) and conditioned taste aversion (CTA). Ethanol at 7.5 and 10% promoted the highest levels of operant responding. BELs were 12-15 mg/dl. In Experiment 3 naltrindole (dose-response effect) and CTOP (the lowest dose) were effective in decreasing operant responding. Nor-binaltorphimine at 10.0 mg/kg and spiradoline at 5.0 mg/kg also blocked ethanol responding. The effects of opioid drugs on ethanol reinforcement cannot be explained by effects on LA or CTA. Even though particular aspects of each opioid receptor require further testing, a fully functional opioid system seems to be necessary for ethanol reinforcement, during early ontogeny.
Collapse
|
5
|
Naloxone attenuation of ethanol-reinforced operant responding in infant rats in a re-exposure paradigm. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2012; 219:235-46. [PMID: 21750896 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-011-2402-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2010] [Accepted: 06/17/2011] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Early ethanol exposure promotes ethanol reinforcement, mediated perhaps by ethanol's motivational effects. The opioid system mediates ethanol reinforcement, at least in part. OBJECTIVES Modulation of consummatory and seeking behaviors by the opioid system was tested in terms of ethanol or sucrose operant self-administration. METHODS Wistar-derived infant rats were tested in an operant conditioning task. (1) Infants were trained on postnatal days (PDs) 14-17 to obtain 5% sucrose and 3.75% ethanol or water, and evaluated in an extinction session at PD 18. (2) Ethanol (3.75%) was used as reinforcer. At PDs 16-17, 6 h before operant task, pups were re-exposed to ethanol after naloxone injection (0 or 1 mg/kg). (3) Sucrose (5%) acted as reinforcer. Pups were re-exposed to sucrose after naloxone injection. (4) A PD 18 re-exposure trial in which pups were injected with naloxone and re-exposed to ethanol was added. RESULTS Sucrose and ethanol promoted higher levels of operant responding than water during training and extinction. Re-exposure to ethanol preceded by naloxone decreased nose-poking. A similar profile was observed towards sucrose. No seeking behavior was observed in pups re-exposed to ethanol following naloxone injection during PDs 16-18. CONCLUSIONS Self-administration of ethanol was established in terms of operant responding in preweanling rats with no previous exposure to the drug. Pairing of naloxone with ethanol, at a point separate in time from operant responding, reduced ethanol reinforcement. This indicated participation of the opioid system in ethanol reinforcement. This effect seems not to be unique to ethanol but also is observable when sucrose acts as reinforcer.
Collapse
|
6
|
Ponce LF, Pautassi RM, Spear NE, Molina JC. Maternal care alterations induced by repeated ethanol leads to heightened consumption of the drug and motor impairment during adolescence: a dose-response analysis. Physiol Behav 2011; 103:477-86. [PMID: 21334354 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2011.02.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2010] [Revised: 02/08/2011] [Accepted: 02/09/2011] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Maternal ethanol exposure during lactation induces behavioral alterations in offspring, including disruptions in motor skills and heightened ethanol ingestion during adolescence. These behavioral outcomes appear to partially depend on ethanol-induced disruptions in maternal care. The present study assessed motor skills and ethanol intake in adolescent rats raised by dams that had been repeatedly given ethanol during lactation. Female rats (postpartum days [PDs] 3-13) were administered ethanol (0.5, 1.5, or 2.5 g/kg) or vehicle every other day and allowed to freely interact with their pups. During adolescence, the offspring were evaluated for motor coordination (accelerating rotarod test) and oral ethanol self administration. The lowest maternal ethanol dose (0.5 g/kg) mildly affected motor performance, whereas the higher doses (1.5 and 2.5 g/kg) resulted in motor coordination impairment and greater ethanol intake. Maternal care behavior was affected by ethanol in a dose-dependent fashion. These results indicate that early experience with ethanol during lactation, even when the drug dosage is kept relatively low, leads to long-term consequences in offspring. Dose-response effects on maternal care behavior (i.e., nest building, crouching) may underlie disruptions in motor development and greater ethanol intake resulting from these early ethanol experiences.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Luciano F Ponce
- Instituto de Investigación Médica M. y M. Ferreyra (INIMEC-CONICET), Córdoba, C.P 5000, Argentina.
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
7
|
Pueta M, Rovasio RA, Abate P, Spear NE, Molina JC. Prenatal and postnatal ethanol experiences modulate consumption of the drug in rat pups, without impairment in the granular cell layer of the main olfactory bulb. Physiol Behav 2010; 102:63-75. [PMID: 20951715 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2010.10.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2010] [Revised: 10/05/2010] [Accepted: 10/11/2010] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
The effect of moderate exposure to ethanol during late gestation was studied in terms of its interaction with moderate exposure during nursing from an intoxicated dam. A further issue was whether behavioral effects of ethanol, especially the enhanced ethanol intake known to occur after moderate ethanol prenatally or during nursing, depend upon teratological effects that may include death of neurons in the main olfactory bulb (MOB). During gestational days 17-20 rats were given 0, 1 or 2g/kg ethanol doses intragastrically (i.g.). After parturition these dams were given a dose of 2.5g/kg ethanol i.g. each day and allowed to perform regular nursing activities. During postnatal days (PDs) 15 and 16, ethanol intake of pups was assessed along with aspects of their general activity. In a second experiment pups given the same prenatal treatment as above were tested for blood ethanol concentration (BEC) in response to an ethanol challenge on PD6. A third experiment (Experiment 2b) assessed stereologically the number of cells in the granular cell layer of the MOB on PD7, as a function of analogous pre- and postnatal ethanol exposures. Results revealed that ethanol intake during the third postnatal week was increased by prenatal as well as postnatal ethanol exposure, with a few interesting qualifications. For instance, pups given 1g/kg prenatally did not have increased ethanol intake unless they also had experienced ethanol during nursing. There were no effects of ethanol on either BECs or conventional teratology (cell number). This increases the viability of an explanation of the effects of prenatal and early postnatal ethanol on later ethanol intake in terms of learning and memory.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mariana Pueta
- Instituto de Investigación Médica M. y M. Ferreyra (INIMEC-CONICET), Córdoba, C.P 5016, Argentina.
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
8
|
Miranda-Morales RS, Molina JC, Spear NE, Abate P. Participation of the endogenous opioid system in the acquisition of a prenatal ethanol-related memory: effects on neonatal and preweanling responsiveness to ethanol. Physiol Behav 2010; 101:153-60. [PMID: 20451537 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2010.04.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2009] [Revised: 04/22/2010] [Accepted: 04/28/2010] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
The present study tested the involvement of the opioid system in the acquisition and expression of prenatal ethanol-related memories. We evaluated how this prenatal experience modulates ethanol self-administration in newborn rats, and preweanling's ingestion of the drug. During Gestational Days (GDs) 17-20, four groups of dams were treated with ethanol (2 g/kg) or water, followed immediately by naloxone (10 mg/kg) or saline administration. A fifth group received a similar dose of naloxone 20min before ethanol administration. On PD 1, pups were tested on an operant learning procedure to obtain milk or 3% ethanol. One hour later, an extinction session was performed. At Postnatal Days (PDs) 14 and 15, preweanlings representing each prenatal treatment were evaluated in an intake test with infusions of 5% ethanol or water. Prior to the intake test on PD14, preweanlings were administered naloxone (1 mg/kg), saline or remained untreated. In both tests, animals representative of both genders were utilized. One-day-old pups rapidly learned the operant behavior to gain access to milk. In contrast, only pups prenatally treated with ethanol (administered immediately before naloxone or saline injection) increased operant responding to gain access to ethanol. On an intake test at PDs 14 and 15, those animals prenatally exposed to naloxone 20 min before ethanol administration consumed significantly lower ethanol levels than the remaining prenatal ethanol groups. Postnatal treatment with naloxone diminished intake of all solutions at PD14. These results suggest that prenatal ethanol exposure facilitates neonatal operant learning reinforced by intraoral administration of ethanol and increases ethanol consumption during PDs 14-15. The endogenous opioid system apparently is involved in the acquisition of prenatal ethanol memories, which can modulate the reinforcing attributes of the drug in neonatal and preweanling rats.
Collapse
|
9
|
March SM, Abate P, Spear NE, Molina JC. Fetal exposure to moderate ethanol doses: heightened operant responsiveness elicited by ethanol-related reinforcers. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2009; 33:1981-93. [PMID: 19719792 PMCID: PMC3085171 DOI: 10.1111/j.1530-0277.2009.01037.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Prenatal exposure to moderate ethanol doses during late gestation modifies postnatal ethanol palatability and ingestion. The use of Pavlovian associative procedures has indicated that these prenatal experiences broaden the range of ethanol doses capable of supporting appetitive conditioning. Recently, a novel operant technique aimed at analyzing neonatal predisposition to gain access to ethanol has been developed. Experiment 1 tested the operant conditioning technique for developing rats described by Arias and colleagues (2007) and Bordner and colleagues (2008). In Experiment 2, we analyzed changes in the disposition to gain access to ethanol as a result of moderate prenatal exposure to the drug. METHODS In Experiment 1, newborn pups were intraorally cannulated and placed in a supine position that allowed access to a touch-sensitive sensor. Paired pups received an intraoral administration of a given reinforcer (milk or quinine) contingent upon physical contact with the sensor. Yoked controls received similar reinforcers only when Paired pups activated the circuit. In Experiment 2, natural reinforcers (water or milk) as well as ethanol (3% or 6% v/v) or an ethanol-related reinforcer (sucrose compounded with quinine) were tested. In this experiment, pups had been exposed to water or ethanol (1 or 2 g/kg) during gestational days 17 to 20. RESULTS Experiment 1 confirmed previous results showing that 1-day-old pups rapidly learn an operant task to gain access to milk, but not to gain access to a bitter tastant. Experiment 2 showed that water and milk were highly reinforcing across prenatal treatments. Furthermore, general activity during training was not affected by prenatal exposure to ethanol. Most importantly, prenatal ethanol exposure facilitated conditioning when the reinforcer was 3% v/v ethanol or a psychophysical equivalent of ethanol's gustatory properties (sucrose-quinine). CONCLUSIONS The present results suggest that late prenatal experience with ethanol changes the predisposition of the newborn to gain access to ethanol-related stimuli. In conjunction with prior literature, this study emphasizes the fact that intrauterine experience with ethanol not only augments ethanol's palatability and ingestion, but also facilitates the acquisition of response-stimulus associations where the drug acts as an intraoral reinforcer.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Samanta M. March
- Instituto de Investigación Médica M. y M. Ferreyra (INIMEC – CONICET), Córdoba, Argentina
- Facultad de Psicología, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Paula Abate
- Instituto de Investigación Médica M. y M. Ferreyra (INIMEC – CONICET), Córdoba, Argentina
- Facultad de Psicología, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Norman E. Spear
- Center for Developmental Psychobiology, Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY, USA
| | - Juan Carlos Molina
- Instituto de Investigación Médica M. y M. Ferreyra (INIMEC – CONICET), Córdoba, Argentina
- Center for Developmental Psychobiology, Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY, USA
- Facultad de Psicología, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Pueta M, Abate P, Haymal OB, Spear NE, Molina JC. Ethanol exposure during late gestation and nursing in the rat: effects upon maternal care, ethanol metabolism and infantile milk intake. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2008; 91:21-31. [PMID: 18602418 PMCID: PMC2568972 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2008.06.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2007] [Revised: 05/20/2008] [Accepted: 06/11/2008] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Ethanol experiences, during late gestation as well as during nursing, modify the behavioral dynamics of the dam/pup dyad, and leads to heightened ethanol intake in the offspring. This study focuses on: a) behavioral and metabolic changes in intoxicated dams with previous exposure to ethanol during pregnancy and b) infantile consumption of milk when the dam is either under the effects of ethanol or sober. Pregnant rats received water, 1.0 or 2.0 g/kg ethanol, and were administered with water or ethanol during the postpartum period. Intoxication during nursing disrupted the capability of the dam to retrieve the pups and to adopt a crouching posture. These disruptions were attenuated when dams had exposure to ethanol during pregnancy. Ethanol experiences during gestation did not affect pharmacokinetic processes during nursing, whereas progressive postpartum ethanol experience resulted in metabolic tolerance. Pups suckling from intoxicated dams, with previous ethanol experiences, ingested more milk than did infants suckling from ethanol-intoxicated dams without such experience. Ethanol gestational experience results in subsequent resistance to the drug's disruptions in maternal care. Consequently, better maternal care by an intoxicated dam with ethanol experience during gestation facilitates access of pups to milk which could be contaminated with ethanol.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mariana Pueta
- Instituto de Investigación Médica M. y M. Ferreyra (INIMEC - CONICET), Córdoba, C.P 5016, Argentina.
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
11
|
Mennella JA, Forestell CA. Children's hedonic responses to the odors of alcoholic beverages: a window to emotions. Alcohol 2008; 42:249-60. [PMID: 18539246 PMCID: PMC2483837 DOI: 10.1016/j.alcohol.2008.03.129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2007] [Revised: 03/18/2008] [Accepted: 03/27/2008] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The present study of 145 children and their mothers aimed to determine whether children's responses to the odors of alcoholic beverages were related to their mothers' reasons for drinking. Mothers completed a series of questionnaires to describe the emotional context in which they drink and whether they use alcohol to "escape" by changing their state of mind and reducing feelings of dysphoria. Children participated in two age-appropriate tasks that focused on the most salient psychological attribute of an odor, its perceived hedonic valence. To this aim, we determined children's liking, reaction times, and identification of individual odors including beer and whiskey in Task 1, and their preference for beer relative to odors that differed in hedonic valence in Task 2. The type of task and behavioral measure revealed different aspects of children's responses, to alcohol odors. In Task 1, verbally identifying an odor was a more difficult task than deciding whether they liked the odor. Although there were few group differences in liking for individual odors, children of Escape drinkers took significantly longer to determine whether they liked the odors. In Task 2, children of Escape drinkers preferred beer less often, particularly when it was compared with less pleasant odors. They preferred coffee to beer odors and, if their mothers did not smoke cigarettes, preferred the odors of cigarette smoke and pyridine to beer. These children experienced the odor of alcohol more frequently and in the context of mood disturbed mothers who felt guilty and worried about their drinking. Whether children who associate the odor of alcohol with such emotional contexts display a trajectory toward or against using alcohol to escape remains unknown.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Julie A Mennella
- Monell Chemical Senses Center, Philadelphia, PA 19104-3308, USA.
| | | |
Collapse
|
12
|
Abate P, Pueta M, Spear NE, Molina JC. Fetal learning about ethanol and later ethanol responsiveness: evidence against "safe" amounts of prenatal exposure. Exp Biol Med (Maywood) 2008; 233:139-54. [PMID: 18222969 DOI: 10.3181/0703-mr-69] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Near-term fetuses of different mammalian species, including humans, exhibit functional sensory and learning capabilities. The neurobiological literature indicates that the unborn organism processes sensory stimuli present in the amniotic fluid, retains this information for considerable amounts of time, and is also capable of associating such stimuli with biologically relevant events. This research has stimulated studies aimed at the analysis of fetal and neonatal learning about ethanol, a topic that constitutes the core of the present review. Ethanol has characteristic sensory (olfactory, taste, and trigeminal) attributes and can exert pharmacologic reinforcing effects. The studies under examination support the hypothesis that low to moderate levels of maternal ethanol intoxication during late pregnancy set the opportunity for fetal learning about ethanol. These levels of prenatal ethanol exposure do not generate evident morphologic or neurobehavioral alterations in the offspring, but they exert a significant impact upon later ethanol-seeking and intake behaviors. Supported by preclinical and clinical findings, this review contributes to strengthening the case for the ability of prenatal ethanol exposure to have effects on the postnatal organism.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Paula Abate
- Instituto de Investigación Médica Mercedes y Martín Ferreyra C.P. 5016, Córdoba, Argentina.
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
13
|
Youngentob SL, Molina JC, Spear NE, Youngentob LM. The effect of gestational ethanol exposure on voluntary ethanol intake in early postnatal and adult rats. Behav Neurosci 2008; 121:1306-15. [PMID: 18085883 DOI: 10.1037/0735-7044.121.6.1306] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Clinical and epidemiological studies provide strong data for a relationship between prenatal ethanol exposure and the risk for abuse in adolescent and young adult humans. However, drug-acceptance results in response to fetal exposure have differed by study, age at evaluation, and experimental animal. In the present study, the authors tested whether voluntary ethanol intake was enhanced in both the infantile and adult rat (15 and 90 days of age, respectively), as a consequence of chronic fetal drug experience. Experimental rats were exposed in utero by administering ethanol to a pregnant dam in a liquid diet during gestational Days 6-20. Compared with those for isocaloric pair-fed and ad lib chow control animals, the results for experimental animals demonstrated that fetal exposure significantly increased infantile affinity for ethanol ingestion without affecting intake patterns of an alternative fluid (water). Heightened affinity for ethanol was absent in adulthood. Moreover, the results argue against malnutrition as a principal factor underlying the infantile phenomenon. These data add to a growing literature indicative of heightened early postnatal acceptance patterns resulting from maternal use or abuse of ethanol during pregnancy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Steven L Youngentob
- Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY 13210, USA
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
14
|
Tomás M, Marín MP, Portolés M, Megías L, Gómez-Lechón MJ, Renau-Piqueras J. Ethanol affects calmodulin and the calmodulin-binding proteins neuronal nitric oxide synthase and alphaII-spectrin (alpha-fodrin) in the nucleus of growing and differentiated rat astrocytes in primary culture. Toxicol In Vitro 2007; 21:1039-49. [PMID: 17482793 DOI: 10.1016/j.tiv.2007.03.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2006] [Revised: 03/20/2007] [Accepted: 03/20/2007] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
The distribution of calmodulin (CaM) and the CaM-binding proteins neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) and alphaII-spectrin (alpha-fodrin) in the nucleus of growing and differentiated astrocytes was analysed using immunogold electronmicroscopy. We also analysed the effect of moderate ethanol exposure on these proteins. For this, female Wistar rat were fed with an alcoholic liquid diet and exposed to males after several weeks. Pregnant rats were fed with this diet and, after birth, the foetuses brains were used to establish primary cultures of astrocytes. Astrocytes from control and ethanol-exposed rats foetuses were cultured in the absence or presence of ethanol (30 mM) for 7 days (growing cells) and 21 days (differentiated astrocytes). Our results indicate that all the proteins studied appeared mainly on the condensed chromatin of both control- and alcohol-exposed cells and that there are significant variations in the amount of these proteins between quiescent and dividing astrocytes. Altogether, we have not found a co-localisation between CaM and the CaM-binding proteins.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- M Tomás
- Sección de Biología y Patología Celular, Centro de Investigación, Hospital Universitario La Fe, Avda. Campanar 21, E-46009 Valencia, Spain
| | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
15
|
Molina JC, Ponce LF, Truxell E, Spear NE. Infantile sensitivity to ethanol's motivational effects: Ethanol reinforcement during the third postnatal week. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2006; 30:1506-19. [PMID: 16930213 DOI: 10.1111/j.1530-0277.2006.00182.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Although tests specific to newborn rats have frequently verified their susceptibility to the reinforcing properties of ethanol, demonstration of comparable reinforcing effects in older infants has been elusive. Using a second-order conditioning procedure, the present study assessed in preweanling rats whether pairing with early postabsorptive effects of ethanol would render intraorally delivered gustatory stimuli capable of positive reinforcement for association with a salient texture. Direct reinforcing effects of ethanol were also evaluated through intake tests of gustatory stimuli previously paired with the drug. Blood ethanol levels (BELs) were determined for each of the ethanol doses used. METHODS Pups (14 days old) were stimulated with intraoral infusion of sucrose (10% v/v), water, or quinine (0.0045% w/v) 5 minutes after being intragastrically (i.g.) administered 0.00, 0.25, 0.50, or 2.00 g/kg ethanol (Experiments 1 and 2). These stimuli were then briefly presented while pups experienced a rough texture (sandpaper). Rats were subsequently evaluated in a 2-way texture location test (sandpaper vs smooth surface). In Experiment 3, sucrose, water, or quinine was paired with early postabsorptive effects of ethanol (0.00, 0.50, or 2.0 g/kg). Consumption of these stimuli was later assessed. Motor activity patterns during the intake test were also evaluated. In Experiment 4, BELs corresponding to 0.25, 0.50, or 2.0 g/kg ethanol were determined 5 and 20 minutes after i.g. administration (time periods were in accord with the onset and offset of intraoral stimulation used in the previous experiments). RESULTS Intraoral infusion of sucrose, water, or quinine, while under a state of sobriety and paired with sandpaper, resulted in roughly 50% preference for this texture. Sandpaper preferences were significantly elevated in pups that had experienced sucrose or water in a nonsober state-while under the effects of ethanol (Experiments 1 and 2). This indicated reinforcing effects of the ethanol intoxication. Pairing ethanol intoxication directly with consumption of sucrose, water, or quinine did not affect their later consumption. Yet, there were clear indications that this pairing resulted in conditioned behavioral activity patterns. Blood ethanol levels corresponding to the ethanol doses used here ranged between 10 and 150 mg%. CONCLUSIONS Infants appear sensitive to pharmacological reinforcing properties of low and relatively high ethanol doses. This sensitivity was revealed indirectly, by pairing gustatory stimuli with ethanol intoxication and then allowing these stimuli to act as second-order reinforcement for a quite different (tactile) stimulus. Behavioral activation elicited by the gustatory stimuli previously paired with a state of intoxication seems to compete with the expression of ethanol's motivational properties as assessed through intake tests.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Juan Carlos Molina
- Center for Developmental Psychobiology, Department of Psychology, Binghamton University-State University of New York, Binghamton, New York 13902-6000, USA
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
16
|
Arias C, Gabriela Chotro M. Interactions between prenatal ethanol exposure and postnatal learning about ethanol in rat pups. Alcohol 2006; 40:51-9. [PMID: 17157720 DOI: 10.1016/j.alcohol.2006.10.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2006] [Revised: 09/19/2006] [Accepted: 10/06/2006] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Exposure to ethanol during the last days of gestation (1 or 2/kg) has been shown to induce greater ethanol intake as well as enhanced ethanol palatability in infant rats compared to pups without previous experience with the drug. This higher acceptance of ethanol seems to result from the prenatal association between the chemosensory aspects of ethanol and its reinforcing properties; the latter mediated at least in part by the opioid system. A series of experiments analyzed how this prenatal experience with ethanol affected postnatal conditioning of the flavor of ethanol. In the first experiment, pups exposed prenatally to ethanol (2g/kg during gestational days 17-20) were tested for acquisition and extinction of a conditioned aversion to the taste of ethanol (conditioned stimulus), employing lithium chloride as the aversive unconditioned stimulus. In the next two experiments, pups with the same prenatal exposure to ethanol were tested for the extinction of an aversion, employing three (Experiment 2) or one (Experiment 3) conditioning trials, using a high dose of ethanol (3g/kg) as the aversive agent. The first experiment showed that prenatal ethanol exposure delayed the postnatal acquisition of a conditioned aversion to the taste of ethanol. In the next two experiments, the same effect was observed during the extinction trials. These results provide additional support to the hypothesis of an appetitive associative memory established prenatally as a consequence of fetal ethanol exposure.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Arias
- Department of Psychology, Binghamton University-SUNY, BOX 6000, Binghamton NY 13902-6000, USA.
| | | |
Collapse
|
17
|
Pepino MY, Abate P, Spear NE, Molina JC. Heightened Ethanol Intake in Infant and Adolescent Rats After Nursing Experiences With an Ethanol-Intoxicated Dam. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2006; 28:895-905. [PMID: 15201632 DOI: 10.1097/01.alc.0000128223.95184.c9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/29/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Preweanling rats detect ethanol (175 mg/100 ml) in maternal milk when the dam is moderately intoxicated. Repeated experiences with the intoxicated dam facilitate subsequent recognition of ethanol's chemosensory attributes and promote ethanol-related memories with a negative hedonic content. This memory has been attributed to the infant's acquired association between ethanol's chemosensory attributes and its disruptive effects on maternal care. In this study, infant and adolescent ethanol intake patterns were analyzed as a function of prior interactions, during early infancy, with their intoxicated dams. METHODS During postpartum days 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, and 13, breast-feeding dams received an intragastric administration of either 2.5 g/kg of ethanol or water. Pups whose dams had been given one of these two maternal treatments were tested on postnatal day 15 for ingestion of 0% (water), 2.5, 5.0, or 10% v/v ethanol solution. During adolescence, remaining animals from these litters were first adapted to ingest water from drinking tubes and then were given simultaneous access to tap water and a given ethanol solution. The first day, a 3% v/v ethanol solution was used. This solution was increased by 1% ethanol each following day until the solution was 6% v/v ethanol. RESULTS Maternal drug treatment did not affect the body weights of dams, infants, or adolescents. Water intake during infancy and adolescence also was unaffected by prior maternal treatment. However, infants that had previously interacted with ethanol-intoxicated dams exhibited heightened ethanol intake scores (grams per kilogram and percentage body weight gains), especially when tested with 5 or 10% v/v ethanol solutions. Similarly, adolescent males (but not females) that had interacted with an intoxicated dam during infancy also had higher ethanol consumption levels than those that had interacted with a nonintoxicated dam. CONCLUSIONS Contrary to what might be expected in animals that acquire an aversive memory for ethanol's chemosensory cues as a function of prior interactions with an intoxicated mother, these results indicate that such interactions promote a long-lasting increase in ethanol intake. These results suggest that rats reared by intoxicated dams become sensitive to the negative reinforcing properties of ethanol.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marta Yanina Pepino
- Instituto de Investigacion Medica Mercedes y Martin Ferreyra, INIMEC-Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Tecnicas (MYP, PA, JCM), Cordoba, Argentina
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
18
|
Pautassi RM, Sanders S, Miller S, Spear N, Molina JC. Early Ethanol's Anxiolytic Effects Assessed Through an Unconditional Stimulus Revaluation Procedure. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2006; 30:448-59. [PMID: 16499485 DOI: 10.1111/j.1530-0277.2006.00049.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Even though ethanol is considered to exert antianxiety effects, the existence of such properties during early ontogeny of the rat has rarely received attention, mainly because of the restricted behavioral repertoire of the pup. This study evaluated ethanol's anxiolytic properties in preweanling rats through an unconditional stimulus revaluation procedure. METHODS Optimal parameters for the acquisition of an odor avoidance response were obtained in Experiment 1. In Experiment 2 preweanlings experienced 4 conditioning trials defined by a 5 minute exposure to a lemon odor while they were intraorally infused with a sapid aversive stimulus (citric acid). Twenty-four hours later, pups were briefly exposed to the acid 5 minutes after being administered with 0.0, 0.25, 0.5, 1.25, or 2.5 g/kg of ethanol. Odor preferences were then evaluated in a 2-way odor preference test. Blood ethanol concentrations (BEC's) derived from these doses were assessed in Experiment 3. In Experiment 4, citric acid mediated-conditioning was followed by a similar odor-preference test after pups were re-exposed to the acid either 5 or 25 minutes after receiving a 2.5 g/kg ethanol dose. Ethanol's effects upon the avoidance response were also analyzed in an alternative rat strain (Experiment 5). RESULTS Moderate to low ethanol doses ameliorated the otherwise strong avoidance response. Further experiments: (a) replicated these phenomena, (b) established that they are correlated with BEC's in the range of 17-70 mg%, and (c) Indicated that ethanol's influence upon an avoidance response changes as a function of the temporal course of the intoxication. CONCLUSIONS Acute ethanol interacts with aversive nondrug-mediated learning. These findings are likely to be discussed in terms of possible negative reinforcing properties of ethanol and indicate that this drug exerts differential motivational effects during the course of the intoxication. The devaluation procedure should be considered as an alternative method to assess ethanol's motivational properties.
Collapse
|
19
|
Spear NE, Molina JC. Fetal or Infantile Exposure to Ethanol Promotes Ethanol Ingestion in Adolescence and Adulthood: A Theoretical Review. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2005; 29:909-29. [PMID: 15976517 DOI: 10.1097/01.alc.0000171046.78556.66] [Citation(s) in RCA: 150] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Despite good evidence that ethanol abuse in adulthood is more likely the earlier human adolescents begin drinking, it is unclear why the early onset of drinking occurs in the first place. A review of experimental studies with animals complemented by clinical, epidemiologic and experimental studies with humans supports the idea that precipitating conditions for ethanol abuse occur well before adolescence, in terms of very early exposure to ethanol as a fetus or infant. Experimental studies with animals indicate, accordingly, that ethanol intake during adolescence or adulthood is potentiated by much earlier exposure to ethanol as a fetus or infant. METHODS Two broad theoretical frameworks are suggested to explain the increase in affinity for ethanol that follows very early exposure to ethanol, one based on effects of mere exposure and the other on associative conditioning. Studied for 50 years or more in several areas of psychology, "effects of mere exposure" refers to enhanced preference expressed for flavors, or just about any stimuli, that are relatively familiar. An alternative framework, in terms of associative conditioning, is guided by this working hypothesis: During ethanol exposure the fetus or infant acquires an association between ethanol's orosensory (odor/taste) and pharmacological consequences, causing the animal subsequently to seek out ethanol's odor and taste. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS The implication that ethanol has rewarding consequences for the fetus or young infant is supported by recent evidence with perinatal rats. Paradoxically, several studies have shown that such early exposure to ethanol may in some circumstances make the infant treat ethanol-related events as aversive, and yet enhanced intake of ethanol in adolescence is nevertheless a consequence. Alternative interpretations of this paradox are considered among the varied circumstances of early ethanol exposure that lead subsequently to increased affinity for ethanol.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Norman E Spear
- Department of Psychology, Center for Developmental Psychobiology, Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY 13902, USA.
| | | |
Collapse
|
20
|
Fernández-Vidal JM, Molina JC. Socially mediated alcohol preferences in adolescent rats following interactions with an intoxicated peer. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2005; 79:229-41. [PMID: 15501298 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2004.07.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2004] [Revised: 06/25/2004] [Accepted: 07/15/2004] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
This study focuses on "passive social influences" (alcohol-related information acquired by an organism that interacts with an intoxicated counterpart) that can potentially affect alcohol preference in adolescent rats. Five experiments were conducted to investigate whether repeated social interactions with an intoxicated peer can generate alcohol-related memories that lead an animal to exhibit heightened alcohol olfactory preference patterns. Juvenile experiences with alcohol were operationalized as follows: interactions with an alcohol-intoxicated peer (Experiment 1), with an alcohol-scented cotton surrogate (Experiment 2) or with an anesthetized alcohol-intoxicated partner (Experiments 3-5). Periadolescents were then evaluated in a two-way location olfactory test where they had the opportunity to investigate a hole scented with alcohol odor or vanilla (an odorant naturally preferred by the strain of rats here utilized). Only juveniles that interacted with an alcohol-intoxicated peer were found to exhibit a significant change in alcohol odor preferences when compared to appropriate controls that interacted with a non-intoxicated peer. Alcohol odor exposure alone or interactions with an anesthetized alcohol-intoxicated peer were not sufficient to establish changes in preference for alcohol sensory cues. Results indicate that social interactions with an intoxicated peer determine heightened preference for alcohol cues in periadolescents. The establishment of this preference seems to require behavioral manifestations of the intoxicated counterpart, instead of just being dependent on an olfactory pre-exposure to alcohol cues.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Juan M Fernández-Vidal
- Instituto de Investigación Médica Mercedes y Martín Ferreyra, Córdoba, Córdoba, C.P. 5000, Argentina.
| | | |
Collapse
|
21
|
Ponce LF, Pautassi RM, Spear NE, Molina JC. Nursing from an ethanol-intoxicated dam induces short- and long-term disruptions in motor performance and enhances later self-administration of the drug. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2005; 28:1039-50. [PMID: 15252290 DOI: 10.1097/01.alc.0000131298.32045.96] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE During interactions with an ethanol-intoxicated dam, preweanling rats encode ethanol-related chemosensory information. These experiences have been observed to enhance subsequent recognition of ethanol's chemosensory properties and to modulate learning about ethanol. OBJECTIVE The present study tested the effects of ethanol-related nursing experiences on motor function in later infancy and adolescence and on ethanol intake during adolescence. METHODS Wistar-derived rats were reared by dams intragastrically administered with ethanol (2.5 g/kg) or with water during postnatal days (PDs) 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, and 13. Later in infancy or in adolescence, these rats were tested on a motor coordination task (Accelerod) while either sober or acutely intoxicated with ethanol (1 g/kg). During adolescence, animals had simultaneous access to varying ethanol concentrations (3, 4, 5, or 6% v/v) and water. RESULTS Both infants and adolescents that had been reared by ethanol-intoxicated dams exhibited dramatic behavioral impairments in the Accelerod task when compared with the offspring of water control dams. Ethanol intoxication disrupted motor performance in both age groups, but this effect was independent of prior maternal treatment. When tested for voluntary ethanol intake as adolescents, those with prior nursing experiences with an intoxicated dam ingested more ethanol than adolescents reared by sober dams. CONCLUSIONS Early experiences with alcohol comprising interactions with an alcohol-intoxicated dam result in motor impairment and enhanced ethanol intake later in life.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Luciano F Ponce
- Instituto de Investigación Médica M. M. Ferreryra, INIMEC-CONICET, Cordoba, Argentina
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
22
|
Choo MH, Jeong YH, Lee MY. Effects of an Ethylacetate Fraction of Chrysanthemi Flos on the Antioxidative System and Lipid Profile in Rats with Ethanol-Induced Liver Damage. Prev Nutr Food Sci 2004. [DOI: 10.3746/jfn.2004.9.4.352] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
|
23
|
Abate P, Pepino MY, Spear NE, Molina JC. Fetal learning with ethanol: correlations between maternal hypothermia during pregnancy and neonatal responsiveness to chemosensory cues of the drug. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2004; 28:805-15. [PMID: 15166658 DOI: 10.1097/01.alc.0000125354.15808.24] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Fetuses learn about ethanol odor when the drug is present in the amniotic fluid. Prenatal learning comprising ethanol's chemosensory cues also suggests an acquired association between ethanol's chemosensory and postabsorptive properties. Ethanol-related thermal disruptions have been implicated as a significant component of the drug's unconditioned properties. In the present study, ethanol-induced thermal changes were analyzed in pregnant rats subjected to a moderate ethanol dose. This thermal response was later tested for its correlation with the responsiveness of the progeny to ethanol and nonethanol chemosensory stimuli. METHODS During gestational day (GD) 14, pregnant rats were subjected to a minor surgical procedure to place a subcutaneous telemetric thermal sensor in the nape of the neck. During GDs 17 to 20, females received a daily intragastric administration of ethanol (2 g/kg) or water, using solutions kept at room temperature. Maternal body temperatures were recorded before and after (4 consecutive hours) the administration of water or ethanol. Newborns representative of both prenatal treatments were tested in terms of behavioral activity elicited by the smell of ethanol or of a novel odorant (cineole). A third group of pups were tested in response to unscented air stimulation. RESULTS Ethanol administration during late gestation induced reliable maternal hypothermia, a thermal disruption greater than that observed in water-treated females. It was systematically observed that maternal ethanol-induced hypothermia negatively correlated with neonatal motor reactivity elicited by ethanol olfactory stimulation. No other significant correlations were observed in terms of responsiveness to cineole or to unscented air in animals prenatally exposed to ethanol or water. CONCLUSIONS In conjunction with prior research, the present results indicate that fetal ethanol exposure may yield learning of an association between ethanol's sensory and unconditioned properties. Ethanol-induced hypothermia during late gestation seems to represent a significant component of ethanol's unconditioned consequences. Specifically, ethanol-related thermal disruptions in the womb are highly predictive of neonatal responsiveness to ethanol's chemosensory cues that are known to be processed by the near-term fetus.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Paula Abate
- Instituto de Investigacion Medica Mercedes y Martin Ferreyra, INIMEC-CONICET, Argentina
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
24
|
Bachmanov AA, Kiefer SW, Molina JC, Tordoff MG, Duffy VB, Bartoshuk LM, Mennella JA. Chemosensory factors influencing alcohol perception, preferences, and consumption. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2003; 27:220-31. [PMID: 12605071 PMCID: PMC1940064 DOI: 10.1097/01.alc.0000051021.99641.19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 99] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
This article presents the proceedings of a symposium at the 2002 RSA/ISBRA Meeting in San Francisco, California, co-organized by Julie A. Mennella and Alexander A. Bachmanov of the Monell Chemical Senses Center. The goal of this symposium was to review the role that chemosensory factors (taste, smell, and chemical irritation) play in the perception, preference, and consumption of alcohol. The presented research focused on both humans and laboratory animals and used a variety of approaches including genetic, developmental, pharmacological, behavioral, and psychophysical studies. The presentations were as follows: (1) Introduction and overview of the chemical senses (Julie A. Mennella and Alexander A. Bachmanov); (2) Taste reactivity as a measure of alcohol palatability and its relation to alcohol consumption in rats (Stephen W. Kiefer); (3) Early learning about the sensory properties of alcohol in laboratory animals (Juan Carlos Molina); (4) Early learning about the sensory properties of alcohol in humans (Julie A. Mennella); (5) Genetic dissection of the ethanol-sweet taste relationship in mice (Alexander A. Bachmanov and Michael Tordoff); and (6) Human genetic variation in taste: connections with alcohol sensation and intake (Valerie B. Duffy and Linda M. Bartoshuk). The symposium concluded with a general discussion.
Collapse
|
25
|
Chotro MG, Alonso G. Stimulus preexposure reduces generalization of conditioned taste aversions between alcohol and non-alcohol flavors in infant rats. Behav Neurosci 2003. [DOI: 10.1037/0735-7044.117.1.113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
|
26
|
Pepino MY, Abate P, Spear NE, Molina JC. Disruption of Maternal Behavior by Alcohol Intoxication in the Lactating Rat: A Behavioral and Metabolic Analysis. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2002. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1530-0277.2002.tb02657.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
|
27
|
Pautassi RM, Godoy JC, Spear NE, Molina JC. Early Responsiveness to Stimuli Paired With Different Stages Within the State of Alcohol Intoxication. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2002. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1530-0277.2002.tb02586.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
|
28
|
Abate P, Spear NE, Molina JC. Fetal and Infantile Alcohol-Mediated Associative Learning in the Rat. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2001. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1530-0277.2001.tb02307.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
|
29
|
Pepino MY, Spear NE, Molina JC. Nursing Experiences With an Alcohol-Intoxicated Rat Dam Counteract Appetitive Conditioned Responses Toward Alcohol. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2001. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1530-0277.2001.tb02122.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
|
30
|
Molina JC, Pepino MY, Johnson J, Spear NE. The Infant Rat Learns About Alcohol Through Interaction with an Intoxicated Mother. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2000. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1530-0277.2000.tb02009.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
|
31
|
Abate P, Pepino MY, Dominguez HD, Spear NE, Molina JC. Fetal Associative Learning Mediated Through Maternal Alcohol Intoxication. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2000. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1530-0277.2000.tb04551.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
|