CE-123, a novel dopamine transporter inhibitor, attenuates locomotor hyperactivity and improves cognitive functions in rat model of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders.

Perinatal alcohol exposure can lead to fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD), usually first diagnosed in childhood, that are characterized by hyperactivity, impulsivity and learning and memory disability, among others. To test the hypothesis that dopamine signaling is one of the main factors underlying these impairments, a new atypical dopamine transporter (DAT) inhibitor, CE-123 (1, 3 or 10 mg/kg) was assessed for its potential to overcome the ethanol-induced behavioral effects in a rat model of FASD. In the present study, neonatal rats were exposed to alcohol intubations across the neonatal period (postnatal day (PND)4-9, the third trimester equivalent of human gestation) and, after weaning, the animals (male rats) were assigned randomly to three groups. The first group was tested at PND21 (hyperactivity test). A second group was tested at PND45 (anxiety test), at PND47 (locomotor activity test), at PND49 (spatial cognitive test in the Barnes maze) and PND50 (reversal learning in the Barnes maze). The third group was tested at PND50 (dopamine receptor mRNA expression). Our results support the hypothesis that dopamine signaling is associated with FASD because the dopamine (D1, D2 and D5) receptor mRNA expression was altered in the striatum, hippocampus and prefrontal cortex in adult rats exposed to ethanol during neonatal period. CE-123 (3 and 10 mg/kg) inhibited the hyperactivity and ameliorated (10 mg/kg) the impairment of reversal learning in alcohol-exposed rats. Thus, these findings provide support that CE-123 may be a useful intervention for same of the deficits associated with neonatal ethanol exposure.