The results of this study indicated significant long-term alterations in behavior among adolescent female rats that were repeatedly exposed to ethanol during this period of development. Adolescent females developed tolerance to the high dose of ethanol (1.50 g/kg) during repeated exposure as evidenced by an initial acute suppression in locomotor activity in ethanol-treated (PND 35) rats followed by the development of similar levels of locomotor activity between ethanol and saline-treated (PND 46) rats. However, this pattern did not persist into adulthood following a washout period between adolescence and adulthood, as ethanol-treated rats showed decreased locomotor activity in young adulthood when challenged with the same dose of ethanol on PND 60. It is evident that the low dose of ethanol produced a facilitation of locomotor activity when tested after repeated ethanol exposure during adolescence, as rats treated with the lower (0.75 g/kg) dose of ethanol showed increased locomotor activity (PND 46) following repeated ethanol treatment during adolescence relative to saline-treated rats. This pattern persisted into young adulthood when animals were challenged with the same moderate dose of ethanol on PND 60
