Acute ethanol intoxication during pregnancy: Postnatal effects on the behavioral response to serotonin agents

Abstract

Pregnant wistar rats were treated on the eighth day of gestation (GD 8) with two IP injections, spaced by 4 h, of either ethanol (2.9 g/kg in 24% v/v saline solution, EG) or saline (SG). Other pregnant females did not received any type of IP injections (absolute control group, ACG). Offspring were tested at 45 or 90 days of age. At 45 days of age, EG showed an increased behavioral response (forepaw treading and hindlimb abduction) to the 5-HT 1 agonist, 5-methoxy- N, N-dymethyltryptamine. In addition, an enhanced “wet-dog” shakes behavioral response to 5-HT 2 agonist, 5-hydroxy- l-tryptophan, was also observed in EG as compared to ACG and SG. On the contrary, at 90 days, EG exhibited a diminished behavioral reactivity to 5-HT 1 and 5-HT 2 agonists as compared to SG. These results demonstrated that acute administration of ethanol on GD 8 induced long-lasting changes in the functioning of central serotonergic systems.