Ethanol exposure during early infancy: Effects on intake, tolerance and corticosterone

Effects of prior ethanol experience on later reactions to ethanol were assessed by exposing pups, every other day from P2-P10, to 0%, 5%, 15% or 25% EtOH by intragastric intubation (i.g.) or Consume-off-the-Floor (COF). On P12 pups were tested using COF or intraoral infusion with 15% EtOH. On P14 pups were given 2 g/kg ethanol to assess BEC and CORT levels. On P12, pups given prior 15% EtOH consumed twice as much ethanol as those given prior water, but did not differ from other ethanol groups, implicating pre-exposure effects of taste and pharmacology. Overall, COF-test pups consumed more ethanol than infusion-test pups. On P14, excluding the 5% EtOH pre-exposure group, CORT levels of pups that had undergone the pre-exposure phase were higher than naive controls following ethanol challenge, indicating that 5% EtOH pre-exposure possibly protected against some maternal separation effects. Tolerance was also assessed, but data were inconclusive.