Effects of prenatal ethanol exposure on acoustic characteristics of ultrasonic vocalizations in rat pups

AbstractEarly separation of preterm infants from their mothers has adverse, long-term neurodevelopmental consequences. We investigated the effects of daily maternal separation (MS) of rat pups from postnatal days 2–10 (PND2–10) on neurobehavioural responses to brief isolation at PND12 compared with pups receiving controlled handling without MS. Ultrasonic vocalizations (USV) were measured at PND12 during two, 3-minute isolations occurring immediately before and after a 3-minute maternal reunion. There were no significant differences in acoustic characteristics between MS and control animals in the first isolation. However, in the second isolation, MS pups produced a greater proportion of high (~60 kHz) vs low (~40 kHz) frequency calls. During this isolation, control pups made longer and louder low frequency calls compared to the first isolation, whereas MS pups did the opposite. Maternal behaviour of control and MS mothers modulated pup acoustic characteristics in opposite directions; higher maternal care was associated with more low frequency calls in control pups but more high frequency calls in MS pups. We hypothesize that MS results in USV emission patterns reflective of a greater stress response to isolation. This translational model can be used to identify mechanisms and interventions that may be exploited to overcome the negative, long-term effects of MS.

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Interactions between prenatal ethanol exposure and postnatal learning about ethanol in rat pups

Alcohol ◽

10.1016/j.alcohol.2006.10.002 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 40 (1) ◽

pp. 51-59 ◽

Cited By ~ 22

Author(s):

Carlos Arias ◽

M. Gabriela Chotro

Keyword(s):

Ethanol Exposure ◽

Prenatal Ethanol Exposure ◽

Rat Pups

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Docosahexaenoic acid partially ameliorates deficits in social behavior and ultrasonic vocalizations caused by prenatal ethanol exposure

Behavioural Brain Research ◽

10.1016/j.bbr.2015.02.048 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 286 ◽

pp. 201-211 ◽

Cited By ~ 24

Author(s):

Kristen A. Wellmann ◽

Finney George ◽

Fares Brnouti ◽

Sandra M. Mooney

Keyword(s):

Social Behavior ◽

Docosahexaenoic Acid ◽

Ethanol Exposure ◽

Ultrasonic Vocalizations ◽

Prenatal Ethanol Exposure

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Effects of Ethanol Exposure during Lactation on Ultrasonic Vocalizations of Rat Pups upon Their Isolation: Increase in Pup Distress Calls

Brain Sciences ◽

10.3390/brainsci11091249 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (9) ◽

pp. 1249

Author(s):

Mohd. Ashik Shahrier ◽

Hiromi Wada

Keyword(s):

Maternal Care ◽

Tap Water ◽

Ethanol Exposure ◽

Ultrasonic Vocalizations ◽

Lower Amount ◽

Ethanol Group ◽

Rat Pups ◽

Reduced Body ◽

Pup Development ◽

High Ethanol

Recording ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) is a highly sensitive tool to study the dam–pup social relationships, and USV recordings have been used to study the effects of ethanol on pups. Gestational effects of ethanol on the emission of USVs in rat pups have been studied in our previous research. In the present study, the effects of ethanol given to dams during lactation on the acoustic parameters of USVs emitted by isolated pups were examined. Ethanol was administered to dams from postnatal days (PNDs) 5–21. From PNDs 11–21, the high- and low-ethanol-treated dams were exposed to ethanol-containing water (v/v) at concentrations of 30% and 15%, respectively. Tap water without ethanol (0%) was provided to the control dams. The pups in all three ethanol-treated groups were separated from the dam and littermates on PNDs 4, 8, 12, and 16, and USVs produced by the pups were recorded for 5 min. It was found that elevated distress USVs with longer duration and higher percentage of frequency modulations were displayed by the pups from the high-ethanol dams. Alterations in USVs were particularly evident in the pups with a reduced body weight at PND 12. This effect might be because high-ethanol dams showed significantly lower intake of higher ethanol-containing water, and consequently, produced lower amount of milk, as well as exhibited poor maternal care. Insufficient maternal care and malnutrition resulted in pup growth retardation and increased mortality rate in the high-ethanol group, which were not observed in the low-ethanol or control pups. Accordingly, the pups in the high-ethanol group experienced elevated negative emotionality during isolation from their dam and increased emission of USVs. Longer duration and increased frequency modulation of pup USVs are expected to be noticed by the dam and to initiate/increase proper maternal care. It is concluded that ethanol given to lactating mothers has more serious consequences on pup development than the gestational ethanol exposure, and has more harmful effects on pups.

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Reversal of cardiomyopathy resulting from prenatal exposure to ethanol

Proceedings, annual meeting, Electron Microscopy Society of America ◽

10.1017/s0424820100113469 ◽

1984 ◽

Vol 42 ◽

pp. 716-717

Author(s):

C. Uphoff ◽

C. Nyquist-Battie

Keyword(s):

Prenatal Exposure ◽

Heart Development ◽

Membrane Integrity ◽

Ethanol Exposure ◽

Prenatal Ethanol Exposure ◽

Pathological Changes ◽

Prenatally Exposed ◽

Inner Mitochondrial Membrane ◽

Fetal Alcohol ◽

Newborn Mice

Fetal Alcohol Syndrone (FAS) is a syndrome with characteristic abnormalities resulting from prenatal exposure to ethanol. In many children with FAS syndrome gross pathological changes in the heart are seen with septal defects the most prevalent abnormality recorded. Few studies in animal models have been performed on the effects of ethanol on heart development. In our laboratory, it has been observed that prenatal ethanol exposure of Swiss albino mice results in abnormal cardiac muscle ultrastructure when mice were examined at birth and compared to pairfed and normal controls. Fig. 1 is an example of the changes that are seen in the ethanol-exposed animals. These changes include enlarged mitochondria with loss of inner mitochondrial membrane integrity and loss of myofibrils. Morphometric analysis substantiated the presence of these alterations from normal cardiac ultrastructure. The present work was undertaken to determine if the pathological changes seen in the newborn mice prenatally exposed to ethanol could be reversed with age and abstinence.

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