Prenatal and postnatal alcohol exposure increases vulnerability to cocaine addiction in adult mice. 

Cantacorps, L., Montagud-Romero, S., Luján, M.A. and Valverde, O. (2020) Prenatal and postnatal alcohol exposure increases vulnerability to cocaine addiction in adult mice. Br. J. Pharmacol. 177(5):1090-1105. 

Abstract

Alcohol exposure in utero may lead to a wide range of morphological and behavioural deficiencies known as foetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD). However, little is known about the consequences on cocaine abuse in individuals with FASD. This study aimed to investigate the effects of maternal binge alcohol drinking during prenatal and postnatal periods on cocaine reward-related behaviours in adult offspring. 

Pregnant C57BL/6 female mice were exposed to a protocol of binge alcohol consumption throughout gestation up to weaning.  Results show that early alcohol exposed mice display higher cocaine reinforcing and rewarding effects, alterations in glutamatergic excitability and ∆FosB expression in the prefrontal cortex and the striatum.

Our findings demonstrate that maternal binge-like alcohol consumption alters the sensitivity to the reinforcing effects of cocaine in offspring adult male mice and suggest that early alcohol exposure may underlie an enhanced susceptibility to develop substance abuse disorder later in adulthood.

Early alcohol exposure increases cocaine consumption in adult mice.