High alcohol preferring (HAP) and low alcohol preferring (LAP) rats show altered proopiomelanocortin (POMC) messenger RNA expression in the arcuate nucleus.
OBJECTIVE
We have investigated proopiomelanocortin (POMC) and neuropeptide Y (NPY) gene expression in the arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus comparing high alcohol preference (HAP) rats and low alcohol preference (LAP) rats under basal conditions using in situ hybridization histochemistry.


RESULTS
A significantly higher expression of POMC mRNA was observed in HAP rats compared with LAP rats. In contrast, no difference in NPY mRNA expression was observed between the two rat lines.


CONCLUSIONS
These data suggest that an endogenous opioid system may contribute to alcohol preference in HAP/LAP rat lines.
Department of Legal Medicine, Hyogo College of Medicine, 1-1, Mukogawa-cho, Nishinomiya, Hyogo, 663-8501, Japan. kinochin@hyo-med.ac.jp
Hiroshi
H
Kinoshita
Michael S
MS
Harbuz
Minori
M
Nishiguchi
Harumi
H
Ouchi
Takako
T
Minami
Takao
T
Utsumi
Hiroyuki
H
Motomura
Shigeru
S
Hishida
D000818:Animals; D001111:Arcuate Nucleus of Hypothalamus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism*; D001522:Behavior, Animal; D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002755:Choice Behavior; D003345:Corticosterone / Q000097:blood; D004298:Dopamine / Q000378:metabolism; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D000431:Ethanol / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005518:Food Preferences; D008297:Male; D011333:Pro-Opiomelanocortin / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D009435:Synaptic Transmission / Q000187:drug effects
D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D000431:Ethanol; D011333:Pro-Opiomelanocortin; D004298:Dopamine; D003345:Corticosterone