title: Ethanol induces higher BEC in CB1 cannabinoid receptor knockout mice while decreasing ethanol preference.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Previous studies have shown that CB(1) cannabinoid receptors are involved in the behavioural effects induced by chronic ethanol administration in Wistar rats by using SR 141716, a CB(1) cannabinoid receptor antagonist. These studies have now been extended to investigate the effect of acute and chronic alcoholization on blood ethanol concentration (BEC) and ethanol preference in CB(1) knockout (-/-) mice.
  
  
  METHODS
  BEC was monitored for a period of 8 h in both CB(1)(-/-) male mice and CB(1) male wild-type (+/+) mice, which had received an acute i.p. injection of ethanol in 1, 3 or 5 g/kg doses. Ethanol preference was assayed in both groups of male mice in non-forced ethanol administration and forced chronic pulmonary alcohol administration for 14 and 39 days, respectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After an acute intraperitoneal ethanol injection of 5 g/kg, CB(1)(-/-) mice showed a significant higher BEC during the ethanol elimination stage than the CB(1)(+/+) mice. However, those in the 1 and 3 g/kg groups showed no significant difference. A 2-3 fold increase in BEC was observed in CB(1)(-/-) mice on days 10 and 11 after commencement of forced chronic pulmonary alcoholization in comparison with CB(1)(+/+) mice, although comparable BEC values were assayed in both groups on day 12. In addition, these CB(1)(-/-) mice showed a significantly lower preference for ethanol than CB(1)(+/+) mice.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The studies on CB(1)(-/-) and CB(1)(+/+) mice have clearly confirmed the involvement of CB(1) receptor on ethanol induced behavioural effects and also revealed that CB(1) receptors may be implicated in ethanol absorption/distribution, particularly after administration of high ethanol doses.
authors.affiliation: Biologie du Comportement, Université Catholique de Louvain, 1 Place Croix du Sud, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lallemand
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: de Witte
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D000431:Ethanol / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000097:blood / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D007274:Injections, Intraperitoneal; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D043884:Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB1 / Q000819:agonists* / Q000172:deficiency* / Q000235:genetics; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D043884:Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB1; D000431:Ethanol