Suppression of ethanol intake in alcohol-preferring rats by prior voluntary saccharin consumption.
In a situation offering a free choice between 0.1% saccharin solution and tap water, Fawn Hooded (FH) rats consumed 363.0 +/- 33.5 ml/kg/day of saccharin solution. Subsequently those animals drank 3.0 +/- 0.4 g/kg of ethanol in a free choice between water and 10% ethanol solution. Control FH rats that did not have access to saccharin consumed 5.0 +/- 0.5 between groups was significant: p = 0.006). When control rats were exposed to the choice between 10% ethanol solution and 0.1% saccharin solution for 4 days they consumed 383.7 +/- 27.5 ml/kg/day of saccharin solution and their ethanol intake dropped to 1.2 +/- 0.3 g/kg/day. When these rats were returned back to alcohol/water choice and exposure to saccharin was discontinued, their alcohol intake was still reduced (3.7 +/- 0.3 g/kg/day for at least 10 consecutive days). Exposure of alcohol-experienced alcohol-preferring P rats with high (6.8 +/- 0.5 g/kg/day) and stable alcohol intake to saccharin/water choice for 4 days also resulted in a significant attenuation of their ethanol intake for at least 6 days following saccharin cessation. Thus, voluntary consumption of saccharin can suppress subsequent alcohol intake in both alcohol-naive and alcohol-experienced rats.
Kampov-Polevoy
A B
AB
Skipper Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina School of Medicine at Chapel Hill 27599-7175, USA.
Overstreet
D H
DH
Rezvani
A H
AH
Janowsky
D S
DS
D000427:Alcohol Deterrents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000235:genetics / Q000523:psychology*; D000818:Animals; D003864:Depression, Chemical; D004326:Drinking / Q000187:drug effects; D004435:Eating / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D012439:Saccharin / Q000494:pharmacology*
D000427:Alcohol Deterrents; D012439:Saccharin