Prolonged Exposure to Alcohol Vapor Causes Change in Cardiovascular Function in Female but not in Male Rats.
BACKGROUND
Alcohol abuse is a health concern worldwide. Studies have associated alcohol abuse with cardiovascular impairments. In this study, we investigated differences in the effects of chronic alcohol vapor exposure on cardiovascular function between male and female rats by using the alcohol vapor chamber method to induce alcohol addiction-like behaviors in rats.


METHODS
We exposed male and female Long-Evans rats to alcohol vapor for 14 hours, followed by ethanol withdrawal for 10 hours, for 30 consecutive days or room air (control groups). The animals underwent preparation for the surgical implantation of cannulas into femoral vessels, for allowing the assessment of the basal arterial pressure and heart rate values, baroreflex function, and autonomic activity.


RESULTS
Female control rats showed higher basal heart rate compared to male control rats. Chronic alcohol vapor inhalation reduced basal heart rate in females, but not in males; this effect was followed by an increase in the parasympathetic tone of the heart. Further, female rats subjected to alcohol vapor showed an increase in the baroreflex activity.


CONCLUSIONS
These findings suggest that females are more sensitive to chronic alcohol vapor exposure than males because they had a reduction in basal heart rate and changes in the baroreflex activity.
['Bianchi|Paula Cristina|PC|', 'Costa Ferreira|Willian|W|', 'Antonagi Engi|Sheila|S|', 'Palombo|Paola|P|', 'Carneiro de Oliveira|Paulo Eduardo|PE|', 'Gomes de Souza|Lucas|L|', 'Crestani|Carlos César|CC|', 'da Costa|José Luiz|JL|', 'da Silva Planeta|Cleopatra|C|', 'Molini Leão|Rodrigo|R|', 'Cardoso Cruz|Fabio|F|0000-0003-3765-7148']
D000280:Administration, Inhalation D000818:Animals D001341:Autonomic Nervous System D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants D000431:Ethanol D005260:Female D006439:Hemodynamics D008297:Male D020318:Rats, Long-Evans
Alcohol Cardiovascular Baroreflex Blood Pressure Sex