The induction of oral ethanol self-administration by contingent ethanol delivery.
The necessity of delivering a highly reinforcing stimulus (20% sucrose) contingent upon ethanol consumption in order to induce ethanol self-administration in free-feeding rats was investigated. Rats water deprived for 12-16 h were placed in an environment in which ethanol drinking resulted in the presentation of ethanol. This procedure was successful in inducing and maintaining ethanol self-administration over concentrations of 5-20% (v/v). Compared to a group of rats initially reinforced for drinking ethanol with sucrose presentation, contingent ethanol delivery resulted in greater ethanol self-administration behavior. When 20% ethanol was available the group trained with ethanol had average intake of 0.91 g/kg, whereas the group trained with sucrose had a mean intake of 0.69 g/kg in a 30-min session. The results suggest that ethanol's reinforcing properties are sufficient to establish ethanol self-administration within the context of the inducing environment.
Grant
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D000428:Alcohol Drinking; D000818:Animals; D001245:Association Learning; D002755:Choice Behavior; D003216:Conditioning, Operant; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D012054:Reinforcement, Psychology; D012646:Self Administration / Q000523:psychology