The effects of neonatal ethanol and/or cocaine exposure on isolation-induced ultrasonic vocalizations

Isolation-induced ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) are emitted by young rat pups when isolated from their dam and conspecifics. These USVs play an important role in maternal/offspring interactions, and have been used as an indicator of response to stress and isolation. This study examined the effects...

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Published in:Pharmacology, biochemistry and behavior biochemistry and behavior, 2000-09, Vol.67 (1), p.1-9
Main Authors: Barron, Susan, Segar, Tracy M, Yahr, Joshua S, Baseheart, Bryan J, Willford, Jennifer A
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Alcoholism and acute alcohol poisoning
Animals
Animals, Newborn
Biological and medical sciences
Body Weight - drug effects
Cocaine - toxicity
Drug addictions
Ethanol - toxicity
Medical sciences
Neonatal cocaine exposure
Neonatal ethanol exposure
Polydrug exposure
Rats
Rats, Sprague-Dawley
Reaction Time - drug effects
Social behaviors
Third trimester drug effects
Toxicology
Ultrasonic vocalizations
Ultrasonics
vocalization
Vocalization, Animal - drug effects
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Summary:Isolation-induced ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) are emitted by young rat pups when isolated from their dam and conspecifics. These USVs play an important role in maternal/offspring interactions, and have been used as an indicator of response to stress and isolation. This study examined the effects of neonatal ethanol and/or cocaine exposure on USVs in neonatal rats. The neonatal exposure paradigm serves as a model for the “human third trimester of pregnancy” in terms of CNS development. There were five treatment groups including an artificially reared (AR) ethanol-exposed group (6 g/kg/day), an AR cocaine-exposed group (60 mg/kg/day), an AR ethanol- and cocaine-exposed group (6 g/kg/day+60 mg/kg/day), an AR isocaloric control, and a normally reared control. Both groups that received ethanol took longer to vocalize, and displayed fewer vocalizations than non-ethanol-exposed pups when tested on clean bedding (Experiment 1) or on chips from the nest of a lactating dam (Experiment 2). These results suggest that neonatal ethanol exposure alters the pup's immediate response to isolation. This could have direct effects on maternal/infant interactions, and might help explain some of the long-term effects of ethanol exposure on social behaviors.
ISSN:0091-3057
1873-5177
DOI:10.1016/S0091-3057(00)00304-X