title: Alcohol preference and regional brain monoamine contents of N/Nih heterogeneous stock rats.
abstract: The N/Nih heterogeneous stock rats were tested for alcohol drinking behavior. Rats that met criteria for high (greater than 5.0 g ethanol/kg body weight/day) and low (less than 0.5 g/kg/day) alcohol consumption were chosen, and the regional brain contents of monoamine neurotransmitters were determined in these animals. The primary finding was a lower content of serotonin and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid in the thalamus and hypothalamus of the high alcohol preferring N/Nih rats as compared with the low preferrers. The high preferrers were also found to have a lower content of dopamine and norepinephrine in the thalamus. The findings support the hypothesis that an inverse relationship exists between the density and/or metabolic functioning of regional brain serotonin systems and alcohol preference.
mesh_terms: D015102:3,4-Dihydroxyphenylacetic Acid / Q000032:analysis; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D001679:Biogenic Amines / Q000032:analysis*; D001923:Brain Chemistry; D004298:Dopamine / Q000032:analysis; D006719:Homovanillic Acid / Q000032:analysis; D006897:Hydroxyindoleacetic Acid / Q000032:analysis; D008297:Male; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000032:analysis; D051381:Rats; D012701:Serotonin / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D001679:Biogenic Amines; D015102:3,4-Dihydroxyphenylacetic Acid; D012701:Serotonin; D006897:Hydroxyindoleacetic Acid; D004298:Dopamine; D009638:Norepinephrine; D006719:Homovanillic Acid