The effect of ethanol consumption by dams on the offspring locomotion in the open field test and carboxypeptidase activities in the rat brain and adrenal medulla

: Consumption of dams ethanol increased the posterity locomotion activity in open field test. The increase in female rats was higher then in male ones. Differences in the carboxypeptidase H and PMSF-inhibited carboxypeptidase activities between the brain regions and adrenal medulla of prenatally exposed to ethanol and intact rats were found. The changing of enzyme activities in female rats was higher then in male ones. It is possible that dams ethanol consumption induced profound changes in locomotion mediated, at least partially, by changes in the rate of proteolytic processing of neuropeptide precursors.