title: Long-term exposure to a sweetened alcoholic solution does not alter genetic aversion to ethanol in Sardinian alcohol-nonpreferring (sNP) rats.
abstract: Results of a recent investigation revealed that selectively bred Indiana ethanol-nonpreferring (NP) rats could be "environmentally" conditioned to consume high amounts of ethanol. Specifically, a long-term exposure to a sucrose-plus-ethanol solution resulted, when sucrose was faded out, in an ethanol intake that was equivalent to that recorded in the counterpart ethanol-preferring (P) rats. The current study was designed to extend the above investigation to the selectively bred Sardinian alcohol-nonpreferring (sNP) rats. To this aim, rats of the sNP and Sardinian alcohol-preferring (sP) lines were exposed to a 108-day sucrose-fading procedure, which was virtually identical to that previously used with NP and P rats. Results indicated that intake of the sucrose-plus-ethanol solution in sNP rats was maintained predominantly by sucrose, as negligible intakes of ethanol were observed when sucrose was faded out. In contrast, sP rats maintained high levels of ethanol intake both during and after the induction procedure. These results support the suggestion that an environmental manipulation such as a long-term exposure to a sucrose-fading procedure did not overcome the genetically determined predisposition to avoid ethanol in sNP rats.
authors.affiliation: Neuroscienze S.c.a r.l., I-09123 Cagliari, Italy.
authors.forename: Giuliana
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Brunetti
authors.forename: Salvatore
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Serra
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Vacca
authors.forename: Carla
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lobina
authors.forename: Tiziana
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Curreli
authors.forename: Mauro A M
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Carai
authors.forename: Giancarlo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Colombo
authors.forename: Gian Luigi
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Gessa
mesh_terms: D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000235:genetics* / Q000523:psychology*; D000818:Animals; D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants / Q000097:blood / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004326:Drinking / Q000187:drug effects; D000431:Ethanol / Q000097:blood / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D013395:Sucrose / Q000494:pharmacology; D013649:Taste / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants; D000431:Ethanol; D013395:Sucrose