The Effects of Repeated Forced Ethanol Consumption During Adolescence on Reproductive Behaviors in Male Rats

Adolescence is a sensitive period of brain development when changes in hormone levels may have long-lasting effects on synaptic connections and behavior. In humans, alcohol consumption frequently begins during this critical period, although the impact of early exposure has not been fully examined. The current study was designed to investigate short- and long-term effects of repeated forced ethanol consumption during adolescence on emerging reproductive behaviors. Twenty-six young male Long-Evans rats were assigned to ethanol (Young EtOH, n = 12) or water (Young Control, n = 14) groups at postnatal day (P) 32, receiving a modified binge protocol of 3 g/kg of solution via gavage twice per week from P32 to P80.

Source: Alcohol - September 15, 2016 Category: Addiction Authors: Shannon M. Harding, Nicole Moll é, Lisbeth Reyes-Fondeur, Jessica M. Karanian Source Type: research