title: Naltrexone blocks acquisition of voluntary ethanol intake in rats.
abstract: The effects of naltrexone (NTX) on the acquisition of ethanol drinking was assessed in rats. NTX (0, 2.5, 5.0, or 10.0 mg/kg) was administered to rats presented with an ascending series of ethanol concentrations (2%, 4%, 6%, and 8% v/v) and water. The 2.5 and 10 mg/kg doses of NTX attenuated the acquisition of voluntary drinking of 8% ethanol, but the 5.0 mg/kg dose of NTX had no effect on ethanol intake. The acquisition paradigm was repeated in experiment 2 with naïve animals that received 0, 5.0, or 7.5 mg/kg of NTX. Neither dose of NTX affected ethanol intake, preference for alcohol, or water intake. Total fluid intake was suppressed in the NTX groups, but only on the second presentations of the 2% and 6% concentrations of ethanol. We suggest that the 2.5 and 10 mg/kg doses of NTX may have attenuated the acquisition of ethanol drinking by at least two different behavioral mechanisms.
authors.affiliation: Center for Studies in Behavioral Neurobiology, Concordia University, Montréal, Québéc, Canada.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Davidson
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Amit
mesh_terms: D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000503:physiopathology*; D000818:Animals; D001245:Association Learning / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D001362:Avoidance Learning / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D003214:Conditioning, Classical / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D007274:Injections, Intraperitoneal; D008297:Male; D009042:Motivation; D009271:Naltrexone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009292:Narcotic Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D011957:Receptors, Opioid / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D013649:Taste / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D009292:Narcotic Antagonists; D011957:Receptors, Opioid; D009271:Naltrexone