Changes in the sensitivity of dopamine receptors in the nucleus accumbens and in the striatum induced by chronic ethanol administration.
Rats of the Sprague-Dawley strain were maintained on ad libitum food and a forced-intake regimen of ethanol for up to 270 days. Bilateral application of dapamine (DA) into the nucleus accumbens of both chronic ethanol rats and rats undergoing withdrawal produced a pronounced increase in coordinated locomotor activity which was 8--10 times higher than that of untreated water control rats. This phenomenon was first observed after 5 months of ethanol treatment and lasted for about 4 weeks after cessation of the treatment. It is concluded that prolonged ethanol administration produces an increased sensitivity of the DA-receptors in the nucleus accumbens and further supports the contention that central catecholamine mechanisms are involved in the mediation of the withdrawal syndrome observed after chronic treatment with ethanol.
D000375:Aging; D000818:Animals; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000187:drug effects*; D004298:Dopamine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology; D004347:Drug Interactions; D000431:Ethanol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D007267:Injections; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects; D009714:Nucleus Accumbens / Q000187:drug effects*; D051381:Rats; D011954:Receptors, Dopamine / Q000187:drug effects*; D012686:Septal Nuclei / Q000187:drug effects*; D013239:Stereotyped Behavior / Q000187:drug effects
D011954:Receptors, Dopamine; D000431:Ethanol; D004298:Dopamine