Nursing from an ethanol-intoxicated dam induces short- and long-term disruptions in motor performance and enhances later self-administration of the drug.

RATIONALE During interactions with an ethanol-intoxicated dam, preweanling rats encode ethanol-related chemosensory information. These experiences have been observed to enhance subsequent recognition of ethanol's chemosensory properties and to modulate learning about ethanol. OBJECTIVE The present study tested the effects of ethanol-related nursing experiences on motor function in later infancy and adolescence and on ethanol intake during adolescence. METHODS Wistar-derived rats were reared by dams intragastrically administered with ethanol (2.5 g/kg) or with water during postnatal days (PDs) 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, and 13. Later in infancy or in adolescence, these rats were tested on a motor coordination task (Accelerod) while either sober or acutely intoxicated with ethanol (1 g/kg). During adolescence, animals had simultaneous access to varying ethanol concentrations (3, 4, 5, or 6% v/v) and water. RESULTS Both infants and adolescents that had been reared by ethanol-intoxicated dams exhibited dramatic behavioral impairments in the Accelerod task when compared with the offspring of water control dams. Ethanol intoxication disrupted motor performance in both age groups, but this effect was independent of prior maternal treatment. When tested for voluntary ethanol intake as adolescents, those with prior nursing experiences with an intoxicated dam ingested more ethanol than adolescents reared by sober dams. CONCLUSIONS Early experiences with alcohol comprising interactions with an alcohol-intoxicated dam result in motor impairment and enhanced ethanol intake later in life.