Prenatal ethanol exposure in rats: Long-lasting effects on learning

• Published in: Neurotoxicology and teratology 1995-09, Vol.17 (5), p.545-552
• Main Authors: Clausing, Peter, Ferguson, Sherry A., Holson, R.R., Allen, Richard R., Paule, Merle G.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Alcoholism and acute alcohol poisoning; Animals; Avoidance Learning - drug effects; Biological and medical sciences; Body Weight - drug effects; Complex maze activity; Conditioned taste aversion; Conditioning, Operant - drug effects; Ethanol - toxicity; Female; Male; Maze Learning - drug effects; Medical sciences; Operant behavior; Predictive Value of Tests; Pregnancy; Prenatal ethanol exposure; Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; Rat; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Sensitivity and Specificity; Time Factors; Toxicology
• ISSN: 0892-0362; 1872-9738
• DOI: 10.1016/0892-0362(95)00014-I

Pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats were fed a liquid diet containing either 0% (group C), 18% (group L), or 36% (group H) ethanol-derived calories (EDC) from gestational day 1 to 20. Male offspring were assessed under a conditioned taste aversion paradigm (PND 35–45), in a complex maze (PND 68–80), and for operant behavior (temporal response differentiation and motivation to work for food, PND 140–198). Although conditioned taste aversion was fully acquired by all groups, retention of the conditioned taste aversion response was impaired in group H animals. Importantly, deficits in the acquisition of timing behavior were found in group H (group L not tested), confirming that this operant task is quite sensitive in detecting prenatal drug effects and demonstrating that neurological effects of prenatal ethanol exposure persist into late adulthood.