Maternal manipulation during late gestation (GDs 17-20) enhances ethanol consumption and promotes changes and opioid mRNA expression in infant rats.
Fetal ethanol experience generates learning and memories capable to increase ethanol consummatory behaviors during infancy. Opioid system seems to be involved in mediating those alcohol-related behaviors. In this work, we proposed to study the impact of prenatal exposure to a moderate ethanol dose, upon ingestion of the drug and possible ethanol-induced molecular changes on opioid precursor peptides (POMC, Pro-enk and Pro-DYN) and receptors (MOR, DOR and KOR) mRNA expression, in hypothalamus. Pregnant rats received during gestational days (GDs) 17-20, a daily intragastric (i.g.) administration with 2g/kg ethanol or water. A third group of dams was left undisturbed during pregnancy (Unmanipulated group). Intake test was conducted at postnatal days (PDs) 14-15. Three groups of pups were performed: control (no intake test), water (vehicle) and 5% ethanol. At the end of intake test blood samples were taken to quantify blood ethanol concentrations (BECs) and hypothalamus sections were obtained to perform qRT-PRC assessment of opioid precursor peptides and receptors. The analysis of the consummatory responses (% of consumption) and pharmacokinetic profiles (BECs) suggested that maternal manipulation induced by i.g. intubations, during the last four days of gestation (whenever ethanol or water), are sufficient to induce infantile ethanol intake during infancy. Gene expression from the hypothalamus of unmanipulated group revealed that infantile ingestive experiences with ethanol can down-regulate expression of mRNA Pro-Dyn and up-regulate mRNA expression of MOR and KOR. Finally, MOR mRNA expression was attenuated by prenatal i.g. manipulation in pups exposed to 5% ethanol.
['Guttlein|Larisa|L|', 'Macchione|Ana Fabiola|AF|', 'Hernández-Fonseca|Karla|K|', 'Haymal|Olga Beatriz|OB|', 'Molina|Juan Carlos|JC|', 'Méndez Ubach|Milagros|M|', 'Abate|Paula|P|']
D000428:Alcohol Drinking D000701:Analgesics, Opioid D000818:Animals D000831:Animals, Newborn D000431:Ethanol D005260:Female D015870:Gene Expression D007031:Hypothalamus D008297:Male D018847:Opioid Peptides D011247:Pregnancy D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects D012333:RNA, Messenger D051381:Rats D017208:Rats, Wistar D011957:Receptors, Opioid D059467:Transcriptome
infant rat opioid system hypothalamus ethanol ingestion prenatal manipulation