The Chemosensory-­Related Consequences of Fetal Ethanol or Fetal Nicotine Exposure: Their Contribution to Postnatal Nicotine Acceptance

Abstract

Human studies demonstrate a predictive association between gestational exposure to alcohol or nicotine and the probabilityoflater nicotine dependence.The flavor qualitiesof both drugsare known to influencetheir earlyacceptance and they share the perceptual attributesof an aversive odor, bitter taste and oral irritation.This dissertationexamined whether there are chemosensory-­‐related consequences offetal: (1) alcohol exposurethat contribute toenhanced nicotine acceptance; or (2)nicotine exposure that also enhances acceptance. The study rationale was drivenby overlappingliteraturesrelated to: (1) the relationship between gestational exposurewith chemosensory stimuli and their postnatal acceptance; (2) lessons learned from prenatal alcohol exposure and its postnatal consequences; and (3) perceptual commonalities between the flavor of alcohol and nicotine.Alcohol studies: rats were alcohol-­‐exposed during gestationvia the dams’ liquid diet. Control damsreceived ad libaccessto an iso-­‐caloric, iso-­‐nutritive diet. Nicotine studies: dams’ were implanted with a mini-­‐osmotic pump containing nicotine.Control animals received either vehicle only or no pump. Behaviorally, we found that fetal alcohol exposed adolescent rats showed anenhanced nicotine odor