title: Baclofen-induced reduction of alcohol reinforcement in alcohol-preferring rats.
abstract: Recent studies have demonstrated that treatment with the gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA(B)) receptor agonist, baclofen, reduces alcohol intake in selectively bred Sardinian alcohol-preferring rats tested under the homecage two-bottle "alcohol versus water" choice regimen. This study was designed to investigate whether baclofen also reduces alcohol-reinforcing effects in Sardinian alcohol-preferring rats. To this aim, sP rats were trained to lever press for oral alcohol (15%, vol/vol) or sucrose (0.3%, wt/vol; included as alternative reinforcer to evaluate the specificity of baclofen effect on alcohol reinforcement) under a fixed ratio schedule of 4. Once steady levels of alcohol or sucrose self-administration behavior were established, the effects of acutely administered baclofen (0, 1.7, and 3 mg/kg, intraperitoneal [ip]) and naloxone (0, 1, and 3 mg/kg, ip; included as reference compound) on alcohol- or sucrose-reinforced responding were evaluated. Baclofen administration dose dependently, although not specifically, reduced alcohol-reinforced responding to an extent comparable to that of naloxone. Baclofen also produced a dose-dependent and specific delay in the onset of alcohol-reinforced responding, suggesting that it suppressed the rats' motivation to start drinking alcohol. These data are discussed in terms of adding further support to the hypothesized involvement of the GABA(B) receptor in the neural system mediating alcohol reinforcement. These data are also in agreement with the results of recent preliminary clinical studies suggesting that baclofen may have therapeutic efficacy in the treatment of alcohol dependence.
authors.affiliation: Bernard B. Brodie Department of Neuroscience, University of Cagliari, Viale Diaz 182, I-09126 Cagliari, Italy.
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Maccioni
authors.forename: Salvatore
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Serra
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Vacca
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Orrù
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Pes
authors.forename: Roberta
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Agabio
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Addolorato
authors.forename: Mauro A M
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Carai
authors.forename: Gian Luigi
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Gessa
authors.forename: Giancarlo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Colombo
mesh_terms: D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000523:psychology*; D000818:Animals; D001418:Baclofen / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003216:Conditioning, Operant / Q000187:drug effects; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D000431:Ethanol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018755:GABA Agonists / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D009270:Naloxone / Q000494:pharmacology; D009292:Narcotic Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D012054:Reinforcement, Psychology; D012646:Self Administration; D013395:Sucrose / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants; D018755:GABA Agonists; D009292:Narcotic Antagonists; D009270:Naloxone; D000431:Ethanol; D013395:Sucrose; D001418:Baclofen