Effects of Neonatal and Adolescent Neuroactive Steroid Manipulation on Locomotor Activity Induced by Ethanol in Male Wistar Rats

The study investigated the effects of neonatal and adolescent neuroactive steroid manipulation on ethanol-induced locomotor activity in male Wistar rats. Neonatal administration of finasteride, an allopregnanolone synthesis inhibitor, decreased sensitivity to the stimulant effects of low ethanol doses in adulthood. This effect was not observed in rats treated with progesterone during early adolescence, which induced anxiolytic-like effects. The findings suggested that neuroactive steroid manipulations during critical developmental stages could significantly influence behavioral responses to alcohol, such as sensitivity to its locomotor stimulating effects.