The behavioral teratogenicity of alcohol is not affected by pretreatment with aspirin

Prenatal alcohol exposure is associated with a variety of developmental abnormalities, including neuroanatomical, physical, and behavioral features. Several mechanisms for alcohol's teratogenic effects have been proposed. This study addresses the role of prostaglandins in the abnormal development that often occurs after maternal alcohol consumption. On gestation days 8 to 18, pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats were prenatally treated with 6 g/kg alcohol following pretreatment with 150 mg/kg aspirin. Behavioral testing of offspring included measures of open-field activity, exploratory behavior, passive avoidance, active avoidance, and acoustic startle response. In most cases, pretreatment with aspirin did not affect performance in alcohol-exposed or control rats.