Skip to main content
bioRxiv
  • Home
  • About
  • Submit
  • ALERTS / RSS
Advanced Search
New Results

Alcohol and Vapourized Nicotine Co-Exposure During Adolescence Contribute Differentially to Sex-Specific Behavioural Effects in Adulthood

Jessica Ruffolo, Jude A. Frie, Hayley H.A. Thorpe, M. Asfandyaar Talhat, Jibran Y. Khokhar
doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.06.23.449629
Jessica Ruffolo
1Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
2Collaborative Neurosciences Graduate Program, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Jude A. Frie
1Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
2Collaborative Neurosciences Graduate Program, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Hayley H.A. Thorpe
1Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
2Collaborative Neurosciences Graduate Program, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
M. Asfandyaar Talhat
1Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Jibran Y. Khokhar
1Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
2Collaborative Neurosciences Graduate Program, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
  • For correspondence: jkhokhar@uoguelph.ca
  • Abstract
  • Full Text
  • Info/History
  • Metrics
  • Preview PDF
Loading

ABSTRACT

Introduction Co-occurrence of e-cigarette use and alcohol consumption during adolescence is frequent. However, little is known about their long-lasting effects when combined. Here, we examined whether adolescent co-exposure to alcohol drinking and vapourized nicotine would impact reward- and cognition-related behaviours in adult male and female rats during adulthood.

Methods Four groups of male and female Sprague Dawley rats (n=8-11/group/sex) received either nicotine (JUUL 5% nicotine pods) or vehicle vapour daily between postnatal days 30-46, while having continuous voluntary access to ethanol and water during this time in a two-bottle preference design. Upon reaching adulthood, rats underwent behavioural testing utilizing Pavlovian conditioned approach testing, fear conditioning and a two-bottle alcohol preference test.

Results A sex-dependent effect was found in the two-bottle preference test in adulthood such that females had a higher intake and preference for alcohol compared to males regardless of adolescent exposure; both male and female adult rats had greater alcohol preference compared to adolescents. Male rats exposed to vapourized nicotine with or without alcohol drinking during adolescence exhibited altered reward-related learning in adulthood, evidenced by enhanced levels of sign-tracking behaviour. Male rats that drank alcohol with or without nicotine vapour in adolescence showed deficits in associative fear learning and memory as adults. In contrast, these effects were not seen in female rats exposed to alcohol and nicotine vapour during adolescence.

Conclusions The present study provides evidence that co-exposure to alcohol and vapourized nicotine during adolescence in male, but not female, rats produces longterm changes in reward- and cognition-related behaviours.

Implications These findings enhance our understanding of the effects of alcohol drinking and nicotine vapour exposure in adolescence. Moreover, they highlight potential sex differences that exist in the response to alcohol and nicotine vapour, underscoring the need for follow-up studies elucidating the neurobiological mechanisms that drive these sex differences, as well as the long-term effects of alcohol and nicotine vapour use.

Competing Interest Statement

The authors have declared no competing interest.

Copyright 
The copyright holder for this preprint is the author/funder, who has granted bioRxiv a license to display the preprint in perpetuity. All rights reserved. No reuse allowed without permission.
Back to top
PreviousNext
Posted June 24, 2021.
Download PDF
Email

Thank you for your interest in spreading the word about bioRxiv.

NOTE: Your email address is requested solely to identify you as the sender of this article.

Enter multiple addresses on separate lines or separate them with commas.
Alcohol and Vapourized Nicotine Co-Exposure During Adolescence Contribute Differentially to Sex-Specific Behavioural Effects in Adulthood
(Your Name) has forwarded a page to you from bioRxiv
(Your Name) thought you would like to see this page from the bioRxiv website.
CAPTCHA
This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.
Share
Alcohol and Vapourized Nicotine Co-Exposure During Adolescence Contribute Differentially to Sex-Specific Behavioural Effects in Adulthood
Jessica Ruffolo, Jude A. Frie, Hayley H.A. Thorpe, M. Asfandyaar Talhat, Jibran Y. Khokhar
bioRxiv 2021.06.23.449629; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.06.23.449629
Digg logo Reddit logo Twitter logo Facebook logo Google logo LinkedIn logo Mendeley logo
Citation Tools
Alcohol and Vapourized Nicotine Co-Exposure During Adolescence Contribute Differentially to Sex-Specific Behavioural Effects in Adulthood
Jessica Ruffolo, Jude A. Frie, Hayley H.A. Thorpe, M. Asfandyaar Talhat, Jibran Y. Khokhar
bioRxiv 2021.06.23.449629; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.06.23.449629

Citation Manager Formats

  • BibTeX
  • Bookends
  • EasyBib
  • EndNote (tagged)
  • EndNote 8 (xml)
  • Medlars
  • Mendeley
  • Papers
  • RefWorks Tagged
  • Ref Manager
  • RIS
  • Zotero
  • Tweet Widget
  • Facebook Like
  • Google Plus One

Subject Area

  • Neuroscience
Subject Areas
All Articles
  • Animal Behavior and Cognition (3513)
  • Biochemistry (7358)
  • Bioengineering (5335)
  • Bioinformatics (20295)
  • Biophysics (10032)
  • Cancer Biology (7753)
  • Cell Biology (11326)
  • Clinical Trials (138)
  • Developmental Biology (6442)
  • Ecology (9964)
  • Epidemiology (2065)
  • Evolutionary Biology (13342)
  • Genetics (9364)
  • Genomics (12595)
  • Immunology (7717)
  • Microbiology (19057)
  • Molecular Biology (7452)
  • Neuroscience (41087)
  • Paleontology (300)
  • Pathology (1233)
  • Pharmacology and Toxicology (2140)
  • Physiology (3170)
  • Plant Biology (6867)
  • Scientific Communication and Education (1275)
  • Synthetic Biology (1899)
  • Systems Biology (5320)
  • Zoology (1089)