title: Asymmetric serial interactions between ethanol and cocaine in taste aversion learning.
abstract: Although the interaction between ethanol and cocaine is well documented, it has generally been limited to situations in which the two drugs are given concurrently. Little exists on the interaction between ethanol and cocaine when one drug is given prior to the other. In Experiment 1, female Long-Evans rats were given five exposures to ethanol (2 g/kg ip) or vehicle prior to taste aversion conditioning with cocaine (32 mg/kg sc) for a total of five conditioning trials. In Experiment 2, rats were given five exposures to cocaine (32 mg/kg sc) or vehicle prior to taste aversion conditioning with ethanol (2 g/kg ip) for a total of five conditioning trials. Ethanol-preexposed, cocaine-conditioned animals (Experiment 1) displayed attenuated aversions to the cocaine-associated solution, drinking significantly greater amounts of saccharin than vehicle-preexposed, conditioned subjects. Conversely, cocaine-preexposed, ethanol-conditioned animals (Experiment 2) displayed robust aversions to the ethanol-associated solution, drinking levels comparable to those consumed by vehicle-preexposed, conditioned subjects and drinking significantly less than controls. Although the basis for these asymmetric effects is not known, they may have implications for abuse vulnerability in that drug history may impact subsequent drug toxicity that, in turn, may alter drug acceptability.
authors.affiliation: Psychopharmacology Laboratory, Department of Psychology, American University, Washington, DC 20016, USA. igrakalic@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Ivana
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Grakalic
authors.forename: Anthony L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Riley
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003042:Cocaine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004326:Drinking / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D004347:Drug Interactions / Q000502:physiology; D000431:Ethanol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D007858:Learning / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D051381:Rats; D020318:Rats, Long-Evans; D012439:Saccharin / Q000494:pharmacology; D013649:Taste / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D000431:Ethanol; D012439:Saccharin; D003042:Cocaine