Prenatal stress and ethanol exposure produces inversion of sexual partner preference in mice

The presence of a sexually receptive female behind perforated transparent partition induced sexual arousal and specific behavior in male mice so they spent more time near partition in an attempt to make their way to the female. Three-chambered free-choice model was used to evaluate sexual partner preference. The main pattern of sexual preference was the time spent by a male mouse at the partition dividing female (F-partition time) versus a partition dividing male (M-partition time). Pregnant mice were given ethanol (11 vol.%) for 1-21 gestational days, and were exposed to restraint stress (2 h daily for 15-21 day of the gestation). Control pregnant mice had free access to water and food and were not stressed. Adult male offspring of ethanol and stress exposed dams (E + S) showed decreased F-partition time and increased M-partition time. Whereas F-partition time in all control mice prevailed over M-partition time, 78% E + S mice demonstrated prevailed M-partition time. E + S mice were more active in social interaction with juvenile male. No significant differences between E + S and control mice in the open field and novelty tests were revealed. Therefore, E + S exposure during dam gestation inverted sexual partner preference in male offspring, suggesting that stress and alcohol in pregnancy produces predisposition to homosexuality. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.