Effects of prenatal exposure to alcohol on activity, anxiety, motor coordination, and memory in young adult Wistar rats

Pharmacol Biochem Behav. 2006 Oct;85(2):345-55. doi: 10.1016/j.pbb.2006.09.001. Epub 2006 Oct 16.

Abstract

The objective of the present study was to examine the effects of prenatal exposure to ethanol on motor performance, emotionality, learning and memory in young-adult, male Wistar rats. Alcohol was delivered to the pregnant dams intragastrically, throughout gestation days (GD) 7-20, at the dose of 6 g/kg/day resulting in the peak blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 350 mg/dl as assessed on GD 20. Isocaloric intubation and untreated control groups were included. Alcohol exposed rats were not impaired in the rotarod/accelerod tests. Their behavior in the open field and plus maze suggested increased neophobia. Hyperactivity was not observed. In the spatial-navigation task in the water maze, by the middle of the training, fetal alcohol rats showed a tendency towards a slower place acquisition compared to controls, but statistical analysis of the data did not yield between-group differences significant. Towards the end of the training, all rats reached a similar performance level. No detectable between-group differences were noted either in memory retention after a delay, in reversal learning, or in working memory task. Our findings demonstrate that the adverse behavioral effects of a binge-like alcohol administration during half of the first and throughout the second trimester equivalent are difficult to be disclosed in young-adult male Wistar rats. The possible reasons of the lack of significant behavioral deficits in the fetal-alcohol rats observed in the present study are discussed.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Analysis of Variance
  • Animals
  • Anxiety / chemically induced*
  • Body Weight / drug effects
  • Ethanol / blood
  • Ethanol / toxicity*
  • Female
  • Fetus / drug effects*
  • Maze Learning / drug effects
  • Memory / drug effects*
  • Motor Activity / drug effects*
  • Pregnancy
  • Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects*
  • Rats
  • Rats, Wistar

Substances

  • Ethanol