Biomaterial Database

Spatial learning of adult rats with fetal alcohol exposure: deficits are sex-dependent. 1991

B Zimmerberg, and H L Sukel, and J D Stekler

Department of Psychology, Bronfman Science Center, Williams College, Williamstown, MA 01267.

The effects of prenatal alcohol exposure on learning in adult offspring were studied in a spatial task in a T-maze. Male and female Long-Evans rats were selected from litters whose dams had received one of three treatments: alcohol in a liquid diet (35% ethanol-derived calories, 35% EDC), pair-fed nutritional control (0% ethanol-derived calories, 0% EDC) or standard control (lab chow, LC). The task included trial-independent (reference memory) and trial-dependent (working memory) components: subjects were required to make a fixed left-right discrimination, and then to alternate left and right choices to escape water. Prenatal alcohol exposure was associated with a greater number of reference errors for both sexes; only males from the alcohol prenatal treatment group, however, were impaired on the working memory component. These results suggest that prenatal exposure to alcohol can cause behavioral dysfunctions that persist into adulthood. Secondly, the pattern of memory impairments suggests that both sexes may be equivalently damaged in neural areas subserving reference memory, but that males are selectively more vulnerable in neural areas subserving working memory.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007858	Learning	Relatively permanent change in behavior that is the result of past experience or practice. The concept includes the acquisition of knowledge.	Phenomenography
D008297	Male		Males
D008568	Memory	Complex mental function having four distinct phases: (1) memorizing or learning, (2) retention, (3) recall, and (4) recognition. Clinically, it is usually subdivided into immediate, recent, and remote memory.
D011247	Pregnancy	The status during which female mammals carry their developing young (EMBRYOS or FETUSES) in utero before birth, beginning from FERTILIZATION to BIRTH.	Gestation,Pregnancies
D011297	Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects	The consequences of exposing the FETUS in utero to certain factors, such as NUTRITION PHYSIOLOGICAL PHENOMENA; PHYSIOLOGICAL STRESS; DRUGS; RADIATION; and other physical or chemical factors. These consequences are observed later in the offspring after BIRTH.	Delayed Effects, Prenatal Exposure,Late Effects, Prenatal Exposure
D001724	Birth Weight	The mass or quantity of heaviness of an individual at BIRTH. It is expressed by units of pounds or kilograms.	Birthweight,Birth Weights,Birthweights,Weight, Birth,Weights, Birth
D004193	Discrimination Learning	Learning that is manifested in the ability to respond differentially to various stimuli.	Discriminative Learning,Discrimination Learnings,Discriminative Learnings,Learning, Discrimination,Learning, Discriminative
D005260	Female		Females
D000431	Ethanol	A clear, colorless liquid rapidly absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract and distributed throughout the body. It has bactericidal activity and is used often as a topical disinfectant. It is widely used as a solvent and preservative in pharmaceutical preparations as well as serving as the primary ingredient in ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES.	Alcohol, Ethyl,Absolute Alcohol,Grain Alcohol,Alcohol, Absolute,Alcohol, Grain,Ethyl Alcohol
D000818	Animals	Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA.	Animal,Metazoa,Animalia