Sex-specific decision-making impairments and striatal dopaminergic changes after binge drinking history in rats

• DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2023.1076465
• Publication Date: 2023-01-16T05:42:40Z
• Authors: Pierre Sauton; Jerome Jeanblanc; Farid Benzerouk; Fabien Gierski; Mickael Naassila
• Keywords: Quinpirole

Binge drinking (BD) is a harmful behavior for health and predictive factor the development of alcohol addiction. Weak decision-making (DM) capacities could play role in vulnerability to BD which turn would lead DM impairments, thus perpetuating BD. Longitudinal preclinical studies are however lacking necessary understand this complex relationship. Both influenced by sex involve dopamine release core nucleus accumbens, central mechanism regulated D2/3 autoreceptors. In context, we used an operant self-administration procedure male female rats, longitudinally assessed capacity, memory anxiety-like behavior. To better mechanisms potentially involved relationship between BD, ex vivo transmission was short term after end binge exposure accumbens (NAc) using fast-scan cyclic voltammetry (FSCV) technique agonist quinpirole. We found important basal differences DM, with rats showing performances at baseline. Choice processes were impaired exclusively males history, associated decrease impulse control both sexes, while not affected. Our neurobiological results demonstrate that did affect signaling NAc core, regardless sex, but reveal changes sensitivity inhibitory effects quinpirole females. impairments neither nor pre-synaptic D2 activity. Overall, our findings show affects sex-related manner, further suggesting these may vicious cycle leading perpetuation early onset AUD. inform novel strategies therapeutic prevention interventions.