Sex differences in voluntary drinking by Long Evans rats following early stress.

Models for early stress and voluntary drinking were used to determine the contribution of early stress to increased intake of alcoholic beverages during puberty and adulthood. Newborn litters of Long Evans rats were: (1) stressed by daily separation from the mother for 15 min/day on days 1 to 7 of life ["handled" (H)]; or (2) left untouched with the mother on days 1 to 7 of life ["nonhandled" (NH)]. All animals were weaned on day 22, separated by sex (M and F), and caged individually with an assignment of 10 animals per sex per treatment group (H and NH). From 25 to 85 days of age, all animals were given free access to beer containing 5% ethanol (v/v), water, and regular laboratory food. Beer, food, and water intake was measured daily at the same time each day, and animals were weighed weekly. HM had greater ethanol intake and preference for ethanol during the peripubertal period (days 32 to 45), compared with all other groups. There were no differences in ethanol intake between NHF and NHM. HM had greater ethanol preference than HF on 22 of the 60 drinking days. HF consumed the same amount of water as the males and significantly greater amounts of water than NHF on 28 of the 60 drinking days. HM had greater ethanol preference than NHM on 8 of the 60 drinking days. From day 75 to day 85, HF had greater ethanol intake than HM, and NHF had greater ethanol intake than NHM. There were no differences in body weights of HF and NHF throughout the study. Growth of HM lagged behind NHM into adulthood. Early stress of males was linked to increased ethanol intake during the peripubertal and adult periods and stunted body growth into adulthood. Early stress of females was linked to polydipsia (water) throughout development and continuing into adulthood, and to increased alcohol intake in adulthood.