Novelty modulates the stimulating motor effects of ethanol in preweanling rats

During early ontogeny heterogeneous rats are sensitive to ethanol's stimulating effects. In adulthood locomotor activity in a novel environment is a valuable predictor of acute sensitivity to the activating effects of various drugs, including ethanol. Environmental novelty modulates response to ethanol and other drugs in adult rats. The present study analyzed the role of novelty in the acute locomotor response induced by ethanol earlier in development, during the preweanling period, a stage characterized by enhanced sensitivity to ethanol's reinforcing effects. In Experiment 1 we evaluated the predictive value of baseline locomotor activity upon ethanol-induced locomotor effects in 12-day-old rats. In Experiment 2 we tested whether repeated familiarization with the testing environment would reduce the stimulating effects induced by ethanol on postnatal day 12. Individual differences in response to an inescapable novel environment significantly predicted the locomotor activating effects of ethanol, but not other acute effects of the drug, such as hypothermia, motor impairment or sedation. Behavioral activation induced by ethanol during the preweanling period was attenuated after familiarization with the testing environment, suggesting that environmental novelty is critical for activating effects of ethanol.