title: Environmental and immune stressors enhance alcohol-induced motor ataxia in rat.
abstract: Infection is now accepted as a stressor, consequently we sought to compare the short- and longer-term consequences of several environmental stressors versus an endotoxin challenge on alcohol-induced motor ataxia. The present set of studies examined the impact of intermittent electric shock (SHOCK), intermittent cold water swim (ICWS), or lipopolysaccharide (LPS) administration on the motor ataxic effects of an intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection of alcohol (ETOH). In Experiment 1 SHOCK, but not ICWS, enhanced the motor ataxic effects of ethanol at both 2 and 24 h post-stress. In Experiment 2 administration of LPS did not affect the motor ataxic effects of ETOH 4 h later, but enhanced the ataxic potency of ETOH 24 h later. The results indicate that certain environmental and immune stressors have the potential to alter the long-term behavioral reactivity to alcohol. These examples of stress-induced enhancement of the motor ataxic effects of ETOH may have important implications for the development of alcohol dependence.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH 03824, USA. rcdrugan@unh.edu
authors.forename: Robert C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Drugan
authors.forename: Lisa M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Wiedholz
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Holt
authors.forename: Stephen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kent
authors.forename: John P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Christianson
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001259:Ataxia / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000523:psychology*; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants / Q000633:toxicity*; D004326:Drinking / Q000187:drug effects; D004435:Eating / Q000187:drug effects; D004597:Electroshock; D004777:Environment; D000431:Ethanol / Q000633:toxicity*; D007107:Immune System / Q000502:physiology*; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000494:pharmacology; D008297:Male; D004856:Postural Balance / Q000187:drug effects; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012149:Restraint, Physical; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000503:physiopathology; D013550:Swimming / Q000523:psychology
chemical_list: D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D000431:Ethanol