title: Lack of tolerance to ethanol-induced dopamine release in the rat ventral striatum.
abstract: The effect of ethanol challenge on the extracellular concentrations of dopamine, 3,4-dihydroxy-phenylacetic acid and homovanillic acid was studied in the ventral striatum of rats repeatedly treated with ethanol. Ethanol-treated animals (1 g/kg i.p. twice a day for 12 days) developed marked tolerance to the behavioral signs of ethanol intoxication when challenged with ethanol (2 g/kg i.p.). However, in ethanol-treated animals the increased output of dopamine and metabolites after ethanol challenge (1 or 2 g/kg i.p.) was not statistically different from that observed in saline-treated rats. These results indicate that tolerance does not develop to the ethanol-induced stimulation of dopamine release and support the hypothesis that activation of the mesolimbic dopamine system contributes to the reinforcing properties of ethanol.
authors.affiliation: B.B. Brodie Department of Neuroscience, University of Cagliari, Italy.
authors.forename: Z L
authors.initials: ZL
authors.lastname: Rossetti
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hmaidan
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Diana
authors.forename: G L
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Gessa
mesh_terms: D015102:3,4-Dihydroxyphenylacetic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D003956:Dialysis; D004298:Dopamine / Q000378:metabolism*; D004361:Drug Tolerance; D000431:Ethanol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006719:Homovanillic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D009411:Nerve Endings / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
chemical_list: D015102:3,4-Dihydroxyphenylacetic Acid; D000431:Ethanol; D004298:Dopamine; D006719:Homovanillic Acid