[Functional changes of the central nervous system in rat offspring treated with ethanol during lactating period]

The present study was made to investigate the developmental toxicity of ethanol administered to rat pups via dams for 18 days (day 3-21 after parturition) from the relatively early postnatal stage in terms of changes in the threshold for pentylenetetrazol-induced convulsions, the sleeping time with barbital, preference for morphine or ethanol and tolerance to phenobarbital. The threshold of pentylenetetrazol-induced convulsions in ethanol-experienced off-spring were similar to that in the naive group. The sleeping time with barbital in ethanol-experienced offspring were prolonged in comparison with that in the naive offspring. Pups whose dams were treated with ethanol showed high preference for ethanol. The inhibition of rotarod performance in ethanol-experienced offspring were accelerated. The present results suggest that the inhibition of functional development in the central nervous system may have occurred in the ethanol-experienced offspring.