Consequences of SAL administration in voluntary ethanol consumption and subsequentlocomotor activity in perinatally lead-exposed rats

Paula A. Albrecht, Romina Deza-Ponzio, Mara Mattalloni, Liliana M. Cancela& Miriam B Virgolini

IFEC-CONICET. Depto de Farmacología. Facultad de Ciencias Químicas,Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. E-mail: pau_albracht@hotmail.com

Developmental exposure to low lead (Pb) doses induces elevated voluntaryethanol intake in rats, an effect that we attribute to central acetaldehyde(ACD) accumulation, which is considered reinforcing. Furthermore, thismetabolite reacts with dopamine (DA) to form salsolinol (SAL) inducing DArelease. Based on previous evidence of ACD involvement in the reinforcingeffects of ethanol in Pb-exposed animals, we here postulate that SAL maymediate these differential effects . To this end, SAL (10 mg/kg i.p.) orvehicle was administered at the end of the voluntary ethanol intake test (2-10%for 28 days) to register voluntary ethanol consumption and subsequent locomotoractivity. In addition, a group of animals that were not submitted to theethanol protocol was included as control. The results indicate that SAL administrationfailed to modify ethanol consumption, but evidenced a statistically significantincrease in locomotor activity in Pb exposed animals that consumed ethanol andwere injected with SAL, indicating a heightened response to the stimulanteffects of ethanol. These results provide further supportto the hypothesis that ACD (and thereby SAL) is involved in the heightenedethanol-related effects observed in the Pb-exposed animals.