Ethanol-induced c-Fos expression in rat lines selected for low and high alcohol consumption.
Selectively bred rat lines, developed to model genetic contributions to alcohol abuse, include the Indiana alcohol-preferring (P) and alcohol-nonpreferring (NP) lines, and the Alko-Alcohol (AA) and Alko-Nonalcohol (ANA) lines. Preferring and nonpreferring lines were compared in their response to intraperitoneal injection of either ethanol or isotonic saline using c-Fos expression as a marker of neuronal activity. Although line differences were noted in several brain regions, the principal finding was that alcohol-nonpreferring lines (NP and ANA) displayed greater c-Fos expression in the locus coeruleus (LC) relative to the alcohol-preferring lines (P and AA) following injection of 3.0 g ethanol/kg. These data point to the LC as an area which may play a role in the differences in voluntary ethanol consumption between rat lines genetically bred for low and high ethanol preference.
Thiele
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Department of Psychology, University of Washington, Seattle 98195, USA. thiele@u.washington.edu
van Dijk
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G
Bernstein
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D000428:Alcohol Drinking; D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D000431:Ethanol / Q000097:blood / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007274:Injections, Intraperitoneal; D007552:Isotonic Solutions; D008125:Locus Coeruleus / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D016760:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology*; D012641:Selection, Genetic; D012965:Sodium Chloride / Q000494:pharmacology; D014018:Tissue Distribution
D007552:Isotonic Solutions; D016760:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos; D000431:Ethanol; D012965:Sodium Chloride