| Summary: | The two studies in this thesis were undertaken to examine the possible interactive
effects of prenatal ethanol exposure and exposure to chronic stress in adulthood on
hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA), hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) and immune
measures. Male and female offspring from prenatal ethanol-exposed (E), pair-fed (PF) and ad
libitum-fed control (C) conditions were exposed to varying lengths of a chronic intermittent
stress regimen in adulthood. Animals were exposed daily to 2 of 6 different stressors, one
each at random times in the morning and afternoon, with the same pair of stressors being
repeated every 4 days. In the first study, following either 6 d or 18 d of chronic stress, CORT
and ACTH levels, body weights, adrenal weights and gonadal weights as well as thymus and
spleen cell counts were measured. In the second study, following 21 d of chronic stress, body
weights and adrenal weights as well as splenic lymphocyte proliferative responses to three
different mitogens (Con A , PWM, LPS) were assessed. The data demonstrate that although E,
PF and C animals did not significantly differ in pituitary-adrenal activity, body and organ
weights, or immune cell counts, there were effects of prenatal ethanol exposure of lymphocyte
proliferative responses to Con A and PWM in males and to PWM in females. In addition,
there were nutritionally-mediated effects of ethanol and effects of pair-feeding on lymphocyte
proliferative responses in females
The chronic stress regimen used in these studies produced effects on CORT and
ACTH levels, body and organ weights as well as immune cell counts in males. For females,
chronic stress affected immune cell counts in the first study and lymphocyte proliferative
responses to mitogens in the second study. Together, these findings indicate that, although exposure to chronic intermittent stress
in adulthood may have marked effects on the endocrine and immune systems in adulthood,
specific effects on the immune system of E animals may only become apparent when these
animals are exposed to chronic stress. In addition, male and female offspring are
differentially affected by prenatal ethanol exposure and exposure to chronic stress in
adulthood.
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