Parameters of low-dose ethanol intravenous self-administration in the rat.
Male Wistar rats were able to press on an operant lever 24 hr/day for intravenous infusions of saline or ethanol at doses of 0.5, 1.0 or 5.0 mg/kg/infusion. Only the 1.0 mg/kg/infusion group showed a significant increase in responding on the lever as a function of days, whereas the 5.0 mg/kg/infusion group showed a significant decrease in responding as a function of days. The results suggest that the reinforcing value of intravenous ethanol changes from rewarding to neutral or aversive in valence at dose-level below that expected to produce signs of intoxication.
D000818:Animals; D003213:Conditioning, Psychological / Q000187:drug effects*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D000431:Ethanol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D012201:Reward; D012646:Self Administration
D000431:Ethanol