EFFECTS OF PRENATAL ETHANOL EXPOSURE AND EARLY EXPERIENCE ON RADIAL MAZE PERFORMANCE AND CONDITIONED TASTE-AVERSION IN MICE

C57BL/6 mice were intubated on gestational days 14-18 twice dairy with l.58 g/kg ethanol, 4.2 g/kg sucrose, or remained untreated. Offspring of ethanol-treated or lab chow control groups were raised either by g roup-housed dams and weaned on postnatal day (PND) 28 (enriched condit ion), or by individually housed dams and weaned on PND 21 (standard co ndition). Offspring of the sucrose control group were raised by indivi dually housed dams and weaned on PND 21. Groups did not differ in pup weight or litter size. Male and female offspring were assessed for per formance in an unbaited radial maze (PND 45-52) and male offspring onl y were tested for conditioned taste aversion (PND 54-59). As hypothesi zed, mice prenatally exposed to ethanol and raised under standard cond itions Failed to develop the conditioned taste aversion response. In c ontrast, subjects with in utero ethanol exposure that were raised unde r enriched preweaning conditions developed the taste aversion response . Maze performance improved significantly over days, but no significan t effects were detected for either prenatal treatment or preweaning re aring conditions. In conclusion enriched preweaning rearing conditions abolished the detrimental effects of prenatal ethanol exposure on con ditioned taste aversion, but radial maze performance remained unaffect ed by any treatment in this study. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Inc.