[Abstract Title]. - Society for Neuroscience

Poster
290. Animal Cognition and Behavior: Learning and Memory: Pharmacology I
Time: Sunday, November 16, 2008, 1:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Program#/Poster#: 290.11/RR62
Topic: F.02.j. Learning and memory: Pharmacology
Support: NIAAA Grant AA12446
Title: Choline supplementation during adolescence reduces the severity of working memory
deficits in rats exposed to alcohol during development
Authors: R. D. SCHNEIDER 1 , H. D. DOMINGUEZ 1 , D. FELLMAN 1 , *J. D. THOMAS 2 ;
2 Dept Psychol, 1 San Diego State Univ., San Diego, CA
Abstract: Prenatal alcohol exposure can adversely influence the development of the fetus,
leading to a range of physical, neuropathological and behavioral alterations. Given that women
continue to consume alcohol during pregnancy, there is a need to identify effective treatments to
reduce the severity of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD). We have previously shown that
pre- and/or early postnatal choline supplementation can attenuate ethanol‟s adverse effects on
learning and memory, as well as activity level. However, it is not known if choline administered
later in life, during late adolescence or early adulthood, would have similar beneficial effects.
Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed to binge-like alcohol (6.0 g/kg/day) via intubation from
postnatal days (PD) 4-9, a period of brain development that is equivalent to the human third
trimester. Sham intubated and non-intubated controls were included. On PD 40-60, a period of
development equivalent to adolescence/young adulthood, subjects were treated with 100
mg/kg/day choline or saline vehicle via sc injection. Beginning on PD 61, after choline treatment
was complete, behavior was examined in the open field, on the Morris water maze spatial
learning task, and on a working memory version of the water maze. Ethanol exposure
significantly increased open field activity, impaired performance on both the spatial learning and
working memory versions of the Morris water maze. Choline administration did not significantly
alter activity levels or improve performance of ethanol-treated subjects on the spatial learning
version of the Morris maze, but it did significantly improve performance on the working memory
version. In fact, ethanol-exposed subjects treated with choline performed at control levels on the
working memory task. These data suggest that choline supplementation may effectively mitigate
some of ethanol‟s effects cognitive performance, even when administered later in life. These data
have important implications for the treatment of individuals exposed to prenatal alcohol
exposure.
Disclosures: R.D. Schneider, None; H.D. Dominguez, None; J.D. Thomas , None; D.
Fellman, None.