Repeated Binge-Like Ethanol Administration During Adolescence cause Decreased C-Fos Immunoreactivity in Amygdala and Arcuate Nucleus in Adult Sprague-Dawley Rats

• Published in: International journal of morphology 2014-06, Vol.32 (2), p.575-582
• Main Authors: Lerma-Cabrera, Jose Manuel, Carvajal, Francisca, Alcaraz-Iborra, Manuel, Sanchez-Amate, Maria del Carmen, de la Fuente, Leticia, Cubero, Inmaculada
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: ANATOMY & MORPHOLOGY
• ISSN: 0717-9502; 0717-9502
• DOI: 10.4067/S0717-95022014000200033

Binge alcohol drinking during adolescence has been associated with neurotoxicity and increased risk for the development of alcohol use disorders. There is evidence that acute and chronic ethanol administration alters c-fos expression, an indirect index of cellular activity, in different brain regions in adult rats. We evaluate here if a binge-like pattern of ethanol exposure during adolescence has a relevant impact on basal and/or ethanol-stimulated regional c-fos activity during adulthood. For that aim, Sprague-Dawley rats PND 25 were saline pre-treated, (SP group) or binge-ethanol pre-treated (BEP group) for twoconsecutive days, at 48-h intervals, over a 14-day period (PND 25 to PND 38). At adult stage (PND 63) and following 25 ethanol-free days, we evaluated c-fos immunoreactivity in response to saline or acute ethanol (1.5 or 3.0 g/kg) in the hypothalamus and amygdala. We found that acute ethanol administration dose-dependently increased c-fos activity in the the Paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVN). Interestingly, binge-ethanol exposure during adolescence significantly reduced basal c-fos activity during adulthood in the Central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA) and the Arcuate nucleus of hypothalamus (Arc). We conclude that binge-like ethanol administration during adolescence causes long-term disturbances in basal neural activity in brain areas critically involved with ethanol consumption.