The importance of housing conditions on behavioral sensitization and tolerance to ethanol.
The differential outcomes of social isolation and crowding environment on the effects of single or repeated administration of ethanol on open-field behavior were examined in female mice. Whereas housing conditions did not alter the increase in locomotor activity induced by ethanol single administration, behavioral sensitization (a progressive increase of a drug effect following repeated drug administration) to the locomotor activating effect of ethanol was significantly greater in crowded mice as compared to isolated and control groups. Single administration of ethanol significantly decreased rearing frequency and increased immobility duration, there being tolerance to these ethanol behavior effects after repeated treatment. Social isolation attenuated the increase in immobility behavior induced by single administration of ethanol and potentiated the tolerance of ethanol-induced rearing decrease, verified after repeated treatment. These results point out that both sensitization and tolerance to the behavioral effects of ethanol can be critically influenced by housing conditions.
Araujo
Nilza Pereira
NP
Departamento de Psicobiologia, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
Camarini
Rosana
R
Souza-Formigoni
Maria Lucia O
ML
Carvalho
Rita C
RC
Abílio
Vanessa C
VC
Silva
Regina H
RH
Ricardo
Victor Proença
VP
Ribeiro
Rosana de Alencar
Rde A
Frussa-Filho
Roberto
R
D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects*; D004361:Drug Tolerance; D000431:Ethanol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D051379:Mice; D012934:Social Isolation
D000431:Ethanol