Neurochemical Changes in the Insular Cortex and Anterior Cingulate Cortex in Intact Males and Females of the First Generation of Rats Exposed to Chronic Ethanol Consumption

Abstract—Alcohol-related mental health problems, including an increased risk of development of anxiety-depressive disorders and alcohol addiction, are often passed down from generation to generation. Currently, there are no studies that consider the effect of prolonged alcohol exposure on the content of neurotransmitter monoamines and neurotransmitter amino acids in the brain structures responsible for the formation of emotional and motivational behavior patterns in the first F1 generation in the absence of direct alcohol exposure to the fetus. The aim of the present work was to study the anxiety behavior and neurochemical changes in the insular cortex and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) in the intact offspring of rats that consumed ethanol solution for 30 weeks before mating. In the “elevated plus maze” test, females spent more time in open arms compared to males, however, no significant differences in the stress response between the offspring of rats exposed to and not exposed to ethanol were found. In ex vivo experiments, a decrease was observed for the insular cortex in the turnover of extracellular dopamine in animals of both sexes (p < 0.05) and multidirectional shifts in the total turnover of dopamine in the absence of changes in the content of neurotransmitter amino acids. In the ACC, a decrease in the glycine content (p < 0.05) was observed only in females. The data obtained indicate that prolonged oral administration of ethanol induces sex-dependent changes in the content of neurotransmitter monoamines and amino acids in the brain structures that determine the formation of emotional and motivational behavior in previously unaffected offspring.