Environmental enrichment reduces the impact of novelty and motivational properties of ethanol in spontaneously hypertensive rats.
The present study investigated the consequences of environmental enrichment on the impact of novelty and motivational properties of ethanol in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR), a validated model of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). This rat strain displays increased sensitivity to distinct classes of abused drugs, which makes it an interesting model for the study of the association between ADHD and drug abuse. Female SHR reared from weaning to adulthood in standard (SE) or enriched (EE) environment were tested on novelty-induced locomotion, saccharin consumption, ethanol consumption (forced and free-choice schedules) and ethanol-induced conditioned place preference (CPP). SHR reared in an EE showed reduced novelty-induced locomotion, consumed less saccharin and ethanol in a forced schedule and showed less ethanol preference in a free-choice schedule compared to SE rats. Moreover, EE rats did not develop CPP, whereas SE rats developed preference for ethanol (1.2g/kg). These results show that exposure to stimuli mimicking positive life experiences (environmental enrichment) induces persistent changes in the reward/motivational system of female SHR, suggesting an important role of the familiar environment during early stages of the neurodevelopment on the co-morbidity of ADHD and drug abuse.
de Carvalho
Cristiane Ribeiro
CR
Departamento de Farmacologia, Centro de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, SC, Brazil.
Pandolfo
Pablo
P
Pamplona
Fabrício Alano
FA
Takahashi
Reinaldo Naoto
RN
D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects; D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002755:Choice Behavior / Q000187:drug effects; D003216:Conditioning, Operant / Q000187:drug effects; D004777:Environment; D000431:Ethanol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005106:Exploratory Behavior / Q000187:drug effects*; D005260:Female; D005518:Food Preferences / Q000187:drug effects; D008124:Locomotion / Q000187:drug effects; D009042:Motivation / Q000187:drug effects*; D051381:Rats; D011918:Rats, Inbred SHR; D012201:Reward; D012439:Saccharin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013549:Sweetening Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage
D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants; D013549:Sweetening Agents; D000431:Ethanol; D012439:Saccharin