Schedule of Events | Symposia

Sketchpad Series

The Impact of Prenatal Alcohol Exposure on Addiction Behavior in Young Adults and Dams

Poster Session B - Sunday, March 30, 2025, 8:00 – 10:00 am EDT, Back Bay Ballroom/Republic Ballroom

Jean Pateman¹ (jpateman@macalester.edu), Anna Rakowski, Petar Elenkov, Naomi Singer, Phillip Rivera; ¹Macalester College

Postpartum depression (PPD) is experienced by 1 in 7 women and a recent study suggests that maternal alcohol consumption can increase the likelihood of developing PPD. There is a dearth of information on how addiction affects the postpartum period. In order to better understand these behaviors, mouse dams were subjected to drinking in the dark (DID), a four day paradigm that assess likelihood to binge on alcohol. This occurred during the human equivalent of the first trimester (embryonic day 0.5-10). A second DID took place during the PPD period (PND 21-28). We hypothesized that during the second binge, dams would binge more alcohol than water control dams. Water control dams will receive alcohol during the second binge. In order to further understand the impact of a previous in utero alcohol exposure, adolescent offspring went through DID (PND45). Based on preliminary results we expect that female adolescents exposed to alcohol during gestation would binge more than their male counterparts, and all water control offspring. In order to understand how this exposure impacts development of the immune system, blood and brain tissue was analyzed. Through cytokine analysis and immunohistochemistry we expected to find differences in both the circulating and central nervous system with pups who were exposed to alcohol from a young age exhibiting immune suppression. In conclusion, a better understanding of how alcohol exposure during gestation influences addiction behavior during the postpartum period will help develop better treatment plans for mothers and young adults who suffer from substance abuse disorders.

Topic Area: THINKING: Development & aging