Effects of acute ethanol intoxication during pregnancy on central dopaminergic system in male rats.

Pregnant albino rats received 2 IP injections, spaced by 4 h, of either ethanol (2.9 g/kg in 24% v/v saline solution) or saline, on gestational day (GD) 8. During adulthood, male rats prenatally exposed to alcohol exhibited an increased stereotyped behavioral response to 12 mg/kg of amphetamine (AMPH) or 1 mg/kg of apomorphine (APO), whereas the stereotypy induced by 6 mg/kg of AMPH showed no difference between control and experimental animals. Also, the hypoactivity response elicited by small doses of APO was not significantly affected by the prenatal treatment with alcohol. Analysis of dopaminergic function in the striatum and nucleus accumbens demonstrated no change on dopamine (DA) levels in both structures in alcohol pre-exposed 55- and 180-day-old rats. A reduction in striatum 3-4 dihydroxyphenylacetic acid levels was observed at both ages. These results indicate that an acute intoxication with alcohol on GD 8 induces a long-lasting decrease in striatal but not in nucleus accumbens DA metabolism. As a consequence, a lower striatal DA release might produce a compensatory supersensitivity of postsynaptic DA sites. This interpretation is consistent and correlates with behavioral results.

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

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-HT1 agonist, 5-methoxy-N,N-dymethyltryptamine. In addition, an enhanced "wet-dog" shakes behavioral response to 5-HT2 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-HT1 and 5-HT2 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.

Sexual receptivity of adult female rats prenatally intoxicated with alcohol on gestational day 8.

On gestational day 8 (GD 8), pregnant albino rats received two IP injections, spaced by 4 hours, of either ethanol (2.9 g/kg in 24% v/v saline solution) or saline. Adult females exposed to ethanol in utero showed greater sensitivity to estrogen, but not to estrogen plus progesterone, for induction of lordotic response. The 5-HT1 receptor agonist 5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyl-tryptamine (5-MeODMT) had a significantly smaller effect in inhibiting lordosis response in experimental rats. The greater sensitivity to estrogen and lower sensitivity to the receptor agonist could be a consequence of long-term changes in central neurotransmitter systems induced by acute intoxication with ethanol on GD 8.

Mass poisoning by sodium arsenite.

An acute massive epidemic of arsenic poisoning in Argentina involved 718 subjects. Urine samples were obtained from 307. The 49 with urine arsenic 76-500 micrograms/dl and 12 with urine arsenic greater than 500 micrograms/dL received dimercaprol treatment. Symptomatology increased with the urine arsenic with increased diarrhea, vomiting and systemic symptoms at urine arsenic greater than 75 micrograms/dL.

Acute ethanol exposure during pregnancy in rats: effects upon a multiple learning task.

Pregnant rats received 4.8 g/kg of 20% (v/v) ethanol IP or identical volume of saline during gestational Day 8. No signs of gross physical teratogenesis were evident in the offspring as expressed by litter size, weight and external malformations at birth. However, when offspring were subjected to a multiple fixed ratio-4/differential reinforcement of low rate of responding 10-sec ( FR 4/DRL 10 sec) schedule of reinforcement at 60 days of age, significant differences were observed in the performance of DRL 10-sec schedule that required visual discrimination and response inhibition, but not in the FR 4 schedule that required a relatively simple nondiscrimination task of active-response. Bar press rates were unaffected by prenatal treatment since no differences between groups were found in the number of total responses performed on either component of the multiple schedule. Present results are discussed in terms of either response perseveration or a lower aptitude to deal with low rates of responding-discrimination learning tasks on the animals prenatally exposed to alcohol.