Estradiol valerate and alcohol intake: dose-response assessments.
BACKGROUND
An injection of estradiol valerate (EV) provides estradiol for a prolonged period. Recent research indicates that a single 2.0 mg injection of EV modifies a female rat's appetite for alcoholic beverages. This research extends the initial research by assessing 8 doses of EV (from .001 to 2.0 mg/female rat), as well assessing the effects of 2.0 mg EV in females with ovariectomies.


RESULTS
With the administration of EV, there was a dose-related loss of bodyweight reaching the maximum loss, when it occurred, at about 4 days after injections. Subsequently, rats returned to gaining weight regularly. Of the doses tested, only the 2.0 mg dose produced a consistent increase in intake of ethanol during the time previous research indicated that the rats would show enhanced intakes. There was, however, a dose-related trend for smaller doses to enhance intakes. Rats with ovariectomies showed a similar pattern of effects, to intact rats, with the 2 mg dose. After extensive histories of intake of alcohol, both placebo and EV-treated females had estradiol levels below the average measured in females without a history of alcohol-intake.


CONCLUSIONS
The data support the conclusion that pharmacological doses of estradiol can produce enduring changes that are manifest as an enhanced appetite for alcoholic beverages. The effect can occur among females without ovaries.
Quirarte
Gina L
GL
Departamento de Neurobiología Conductual y Cognitiva, Instituto de Neurobiología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Campus Juriquilla, Querétaro, 76230, México. ginaqui@servidor.unam.mx <ginaqui@servidor.unam.mx>
Reid
Larry D
LD
de la Teja
I Sofía Ledesma
IS
Reid
Meta L
ML
Sánchez
Marco A
MA
Díaz-Trujillo
Arnulfo
A
Aguilar-Vazquez
Azucena
A
Prado-Alcalá
Roberto A
RA
D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D001066:Appetite / Q000187:drug effects; D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D003270:Contraceptive Agents / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004958:Estradiol / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000097:blood / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000494:pharmacology; D000431:Ethanol / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005260:Female; D010052:Ovariectomy; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012646:Self Administration; D013395:Sucrose / Q000008:administration & dosage; D013549:Sweetening Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage; D015430:Weight Gain / Q000187:drug effects
D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants; D003270:Contraceptive Agents; D013549:Sweetening Agents; D000431:Ethanol; D004958:Estradiol; D013395:Sucrose