Operant responding for oral ethanol in the alcohol-preferring P and alcohol-nonpreferring NP lines of rats.
Rats of the P (n = 4) and NP (n = 5) lines were housed in operant chambers with food available ad lib, but all liquid was obtained by responding on either of two levers according to a FR5 schedule. Presses on one lever produced water from an automated dipper, while the other lever gave access to a dipper containing ethanol in concentrations ranging from 2 to 30% (v/v). P rats worked to obtain the ethanol at all concentrations offered and preferred the ethanol over water. The highest ethanol intake averaged 7.7 +/- 0.5 g/kg body weight/day at the 15% concentration and at least 5.8 +/- 0.9 g/kg/day for the 20-30% range. The NP rats responded more for the 2 and 5% concentrations of ethanol than for water, but responded predominantly for water when the ethanol concentrations were 10% and higher. In a second experiment, NP rats drank water rather than 10% ethanol by free-choice, even though the ethanol was mixed with a preferred flavor and the water with a nonpreferred flavor. The findings indicate that ethanol is rewarding to P rats in concentrations up to 30% (v/v) but is not rewarding to NP rats when the concentration is 10% and above.
Murphy
J M
JM
Department of Psychiatry, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis 46223.
Gatto
G J
GJ
McBride
W J
WJ
Lumeng
L
L
Li
T K
TK
D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000523:psychology*; D000818:Animals; D001947:Breeding; D003216:Conditioning, Operant; D000431:Ethanol / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D012201:Reward
D000431:Ethanol