Effects of alcohol exposure and artificial rearing during development on septal and hippocampal neurotransmitters in adult rats.

The effect of alcohol exposure during the early postnatal period in the rat on the hippocampus and septal region was investigated. The alcohol group was given 5 g/kg/day of ethanol from postnatal days 4 to 10 via an artificial rearing procedure. Control groups consisted of a gastrostomy control group that was treated in the same manner as the alcohol group, but not exposed to alcohol and a suckle control group that was reared normally by dams. Between 90 and 100 days of age, the hippocampus and septal region were assayed under nonstressed or stressed conditions using HPLC with electrochemical detection. Alcohol-exposed female rats exhibited increased hippocampal noradrenaline concentrations under stressed conditions, increased septal serotonin, and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) concentrations under nonstressed conditions, and decreased septal dopamine concentrations under stressed conditions. Artificially reared male rats (regardless of alcohol exposure) exhibited an increase in hippocampal noradrenaline concentrations under stressed conditions; a decrease in hippocampal 5-HIAA concentrations under nonstressed conditions; and a decrease in septal noradrenaline, serotonin, 5-HIAA, and dopamine concentrations under nonstressed conditions. The results suggest that female rats may be more susceptible to alcohol exposure during the postnatal period than male rats and that male rats may be more susceptible to the effects of artificial rearing than female rats.