Effects of prenatal alcohol exposure on nose poking in year-old rats

Rats were prenatally exposed to alcohol (3.5 g/kg/twice daily) on gestation days 11-21. Control animals were vehicle-treated and pair-fed or untreated and fed ad lib. When animals were more than 1 year of age, they were tested for nose-poking behavior with female mice or empty cages and then male mice or empty cages as test stimuli. Alcohol exposed animals made significantly more nose pokes than pair fed or ad lib fed controls. Alcohol exposed females made significantly more nose pokes with female mice as test stimuli whereas males made fewer nose pokes when tested with female mice as test stimuli. Testing in the presence of male mice did not affect nose poking significantly. Nose poking of female alcohol-exposed animals was not affected by female mouse bedding relative to testing with empty cages but was increased in male alcohol-exposed males relative to empty cages.