title: Effects of ethanol sipper and social opportunity on ethanol drinking in rats.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The present study evaluates the effects of pairing ethanol sipper conditioned stimulus (CS) with social opportunity unconditioned stimulus (US) on CS-directed ethanol drinking in rats. Subjects were Long-Evans male rats (n = 32) deprived of neither food nor water, and the concentration of unsweetened ethanol (3 to 16%) in the sipper CS was increased across sessions.
  
  
  METHODS
  Group Paired/Ethanol (n = 12) received the ethanol sipper CS for 10 s immediately prior to 15 s of social opportunity US. Control groups received water rather than ethanol in the sipper CS (Paired/Water), or ethanol sipper CS and US presentations randomly (Random/Ethanol), or ethanol sipper CS but no social opportunity US (Sipper Only).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean ethanol intake in the Paired/Ethanol and Random/Ethanol groups exceeded 1.0 g/kg when the sipper CS contained 12%, 14% and 16% ethanol, and higher fluid intakes were observed in the Paired/Ethanol and Random/Ethanol groups than in the Paired/Water and Sipper Only groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Social opportunity increased ethanol drinking, and more so than water drinking; however, autoshaping did not induce additional ethanol drinking beyond that observed in random controls.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology and Center of Alcohol Studies, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ 08903, USA. tomie@rci.rutgers.edu
authors.forename: Arthur
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tomie
authors.forename: Jillian M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Uveges
authors.forename: Kelly M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Burger
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Patterson-Buckendahl
authors.forename: Larissa A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Pohorecky
mesh_terms: D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000523:psychology*; D000818:Animals; D003216:Conditioning, Operant / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D000431:Ethanol / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D020318:Rats, Long-Evans; D012646:Self Administration; D012931:Social Environment
chemical_list: D000431:Ethanol