Voluntary ethanol intake of individually- or pair-housed rats: effect of ACTH or dexamethasone treatment.
The effect of ACTH or dexamethasone treatment on ingestion of 10% ethanol, 0.5 M NaCl and water was studied in individually- and pair-housed rats. Crowding or decreasing the amount of space per rat by increasing the number of rats per cage from 1 to 2, together with the associated increase in social interactions caused a large increase in ethanol intake. In pair-housed rats and in rats housed alone, ACTH treatment caused a large increase in Na intake but no change in ethanol intake. In pair-housed rats and in rats housed alone, dexamethasone treatment caused no change in either ethanol or Na intake. Thus, it would appear that the induction or maintenance of a high ethanol intake of rats during crowding, a presumed social stressor, can not be attributed entirely to either an increase in blood ACTH levels with the subsequent increase in glucocorticoid hormones or to a decrease in blood ACTH and natural glucocorticoid hormone levels. However, the possibility that ACTH and/or adrenocorticoid hormones, combined with other physiological or environmental factors, causes stressor-induced ethanol intake cannot be excluded.
Weisinger
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RS
Howard Florey Institute of Experimental Physiology and Medicine University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.
Denton
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DA
Osborne
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PG
D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000187:drug effects*; D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D003441:Crowding / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003907:Dexamethasone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004327:Drinking Behavior / Q000187:drug effects*; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D012965:Sodium Chloride; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013997:Time Factors
D012965:Sodium Chloride; D003907:Dexamethasone; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone