Alcohol intake in social housing and in isolation before puberty and its effects on voluntary alcohol consumption in adulthood.

We assessed the effects of alcohol exposure in social and isolation housing before puberty on the alcohol consumption later in adulthood. From 25 to 35 days of age, Wistar male rats were exposed to either (a) continuous isolation; (b) continuous social housing; (c) continuous isolation, but placed in social housing during 12 hr every other day; or (d) continuous social housing, but placed in isolation during 12 hr every other day (SOIS group). All males were exposed to 8% ethanol as the only available liquid 12 hr/day every other day in this prepubescent period and to continuous free-choice access to 8% ethanol or water in both social and isolation housing when adulthood was reached. Alcohol consumption before puberty was higher in the group permanently housed in isolation. Both voluntary alcohol intake and preference for alcohol in adulthood also were higher during the isolation than in the social condition in all groups, except in the SOIS group. Alcohol consumption was higher in the SOIS group than in the other groups only during social condition in adulthood. Food intake decreased during the social interaction of the groups that changed their condition from isolated to social or from social to isolated. Results support that (a) isolation facilitates alcohol consumption, and (b) rearing characteristics associated to alcohol intake at an early age can play an important role in later alcohol intake. Copyright 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Dev Psychobiol 43: 200-207, 2003.