Effects of chronic prenatal ethanol exposure on NMDA receptor number and affinity for [3H]MK-801 in the cerebral cortex of the young postnatal and adult guinea-pig.

The objective of this study was to test the hypothesis that chronic prenatal ethanol exposure (CPEE) produces changes in the number and/or affinity of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors in the cerebral cortex that are developmental-age-dependent. Timed, pregnant Dunkin-Hartley-strain guinea-pigs received oral intubation of one of the following regimens, given daily as two equally divided doses 2 h apart, from gestational day (GD) 2 to GD 67 (term, ~GD 68): (i) 4 g ethanol kg(-1) maternal bodyweight; (ii) isocaloric sucrose with pair feeding; or (iii) water. Maternal blood ethanol concentration was measured on GD 57 or 58 at 1 h after the daily dose, and was 51.