Agmatine Reduces the Effects of “3rd Trimester” Ethanol Exposure on Balance Coordination and Deficits in Response to Social Cues in a Rodent Model:Agmatine Reduces Deficits in Response to Social Cues Following “3rd Trimester” Alcohol Exposure in a Rodent Model

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome has life-long consequences for the individual and their family. One of the many effects associated with prenatal alcohol exposure are problems in social interactions. Our laboratory studies prenatal alcohol exposure during CNS development overlapping the human 3rd trimester “brain growth spurt” in rodent models. We have previously reported deficits by pups in communication with their mom. The current study examined social communication among young adolescent rats. Furthermore, we wanted to assess whether agmatine, a potential neuroprotective agent, would reduce some of alcohol’s effects. Neonatal rats received alcohol twice daily on either postnatal days (PND) 1-7 or 8-15. The 5 treatment groups included alcohol, agmatine, alcohol plus agmatine (during alcohol withdrawal) and 2 controls. Offspring played with a nontreated same sex partner in one environment on PND 23-24 and were then placed in a 2nd environment alone. On PND 25, each subject’s ultrasonic vocalizations were recorded in each test chambers. Typically, young rats vocalize in anticipation of play.Offspring exposed to alcohol on PND 1–7 did not show the typical anticipation for play displayed by the other groups. Agmatine treatment during ethanol withdrawal eliminated this deficit. Ethanol had little effect on offspring when exposure was on PND 8-15. These are the first data suggesting that there are critical times during brain development that ethanol has its damaging effects on social communication. More importantly, agmatine may be useful in reducing ethanol-related damage during development