Effect of short-term high alcohol intake on behavior and motor function of Tupaia belangeri chinensis

Objective: To investigate the effect of short-term high alcohol intake on the behavior and motor function of Tupaia belangeri chinensis (T.b.chinensis), so as to lay the foundation for further neuroscience research.Methods: An alcohol binge-drinking model was established on T.b.chinensis by giving 50% ethanol solutions of various volumes.Twenty male T.b.chinensis were randomly divided into control, low-dose, medium-dose, and high-dose groups, with 5 individuals per group.Open field test and gait analysis were used to comprehensively evaluate the basic behavioral characteristics of T.b.chinensis before and after drinking.The total movement distance, average speed, highest speed, number of crossings through the central area, gait linearity Δα, alternation coefficient β, and step regularity coefficient σ were compared among the three dose groups.Results: The open field experiment showed that the total movement distance, the average speed and the highest speed of T.b.chinensis in the medium-and high-dose groups were significantly deceased in comparison of those in the control group (all P< 0.01), while the number of crossings through the central area was significantly decreased in all three dose groups (all P< 0.01).Among them, the changes were most obvious in the high-dose group.Gait analysis showed that compared with the control group, there was a significant increase of the gait linearity Δα of T.b.chinensis in the medium-and high-dose groups (all P< 0.01), and of the alternate coefficient β and the step regularity coefficient σ in all three dose groups (all P< 0.01), with the high-dose group showing the most significant increase.Conclusion: Short-term high alcohol intake has a significant sedative effect on T.b.chinensis, manifested by a decreased desire for exploration, disordered gait and even ataxia.