ALCOHOL EXPOSURE DURING DEVELOPMENT ALTERS HYPOTHALAMIC NEUROTRANSMITTER CONCENTRATIONS

The effect of exposure to alcohol during a period roughly equivalent t o the human third trimester on neurotransmitter content in the rat hyp othalamus was examined. The alcohol exposure was accomplished via an a rtificial rearing procedure. The alcohol group was exposed to 5 g/kg/d ay of ethanol from postnatal day (PD) 4 to 10. There was an artificial ly reared control group not exposed to alcohol and a normally reared c ontrol group. Noradrenaline, dopamine, homovanillic acid (HVA), 3,4-di hydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC), serotonin, and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) concentrations were measured using high performance liq uid chromatography with electrochemical detection in juvenile and adul t rats. There were no effects in juvenile rats. In adult rats, alcohol exposure from PD 4 to 10 increased hypothalamic content of noradrenal ine, dopamine, serotonin and 5-HIAA. While adult females had greater a mounts of hypothalamic serotonin and 5-HIAA than adult males, there we re no interactions of sex with alcohol exposure. These results suggest that hypothalamic function is seriously disrupted by alcohol exposure during development.