Chronic Ethanol Consumption by Rats before Mating Affects Working Memory in the Offspring

Parameters of non-spatial and spatial memory were evaluated in sexually mature offspring of outbred rats (females and males F0) consuming a 10% ethanol solution for 30 weeks before mating. We found a significant increase in the recognition index in F1 males and its decrease in F1 females in the novel object recognition test. During the first days of the experiment in T-maze, a decrease in spatial memory was revealed in F1 males, which remained at the trend level until the end of testing; no significant deviations were detected in F1 females. Memory impairment in F1 females was accompanied by a decrease in BDNF level in the hippocampus, but not in the prefrontal cortex. Thus, ethanol consumption by F0 rats before mating led to impairment of long-term working memory only in female F1 offspring.

Automated summary

This study found that ethanol consumption by F0 rats before mating can affect the memory abilities of F1 offspring. In the novel object recognition test, there was an increase in recognition ability in F1 males and a decrease in F1 females. In the T-maze experiment, spatial memory was decreased in F1 males, while there were no significant changes in F1 females. The memory impairment in F1 females was associated with a decrease in hippocampal BDNF levels.