Ethanol-mediated operant learning in the infant rat leads to increased ethanol intake during adolescence

Recent studies indicate that the infant rat has high affinity for ethanol ingestion and marked sensitivity to the drug's reinforcing effects [Spear, N.E., Molina, J.C. Fetal or infantile exposure to ethanol promotes ethanol ingestion in adolescence and adulthood: a theoretical review. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2005; 29: 909-29.]. A novel operant technique was developed to analyze reinforcing effects of ethanol delivery during the third postnatal week. The impact of this ethanol-reinforcement experience upon subsequent ethanol consumption during adolescence (postnatal weeks 5-6) was also examined. In Experiment 1, pups (postnatal days 14-17) were given an explicit contingency between nose-poking behavior and intraoral delivery of either water or 3.75% v/v ethanol (paired groups). Yoked controls (pups receiving either reinforcer independently of their behavior) were also included. Paired subjects reinforced with ethanol exhibited rapid and robust operant conditioning leading to blood ethanol concentrations in the 25-48 mg% range. In Experiment 2, a higher ethanol concentration (7.5% v/v) provided significant reinforcement. During adolescence, animals originally reinforced with 3.75% v/v ethanol exhibited greater ingestion of ethanol than control animals without prior ethanol reinforcement. These results indicate that, without extensive initiation to ethanol, infant rats rapidly learn to gain access to ethanol and that this experience has a significant impact upon later ethanol intake patterns.