title: Differential rearing conditions and alcohol-preferring rats: consumption of and operant responding for ethanol.
abstract: Exposing rats to differential rearing conditions during early postweaning development has been shown to produce changes in a number of behaviors displayed during adulthood. The purpose of the present studies was to investigate whether rearing alcohol-preferring (P) and nonpreferring (NP) rats in an environmental enrichment condition (EC), a social condition (SC), or an impoverished condition (IC) would differentially affect self-administration of 10% ethanol. In Experiment 1, rats were tested for consumption of 10% ethanol in limited- and free-access tests. For Experiment 2, rats were trained to respond in an operant chamber for ethanol and then provided concurrent access to 10% ethanol and water. Each solution was presented in a separate liquid dipper after meeting the schedule of reinforcement on distinct levers. After concurrent access tests, the water lever/dipper was inactivated and a progressive ratio (PR) schedule was initiated. Three successive solutions (10% ethanol, 15% ethanol, and 10% sucrose) were tested under the PR. For P rats, rearing in an EC reduced ethanol consumption, preference, and motivation to obtain ethanol, relative to P rats reared in an IC. Thus, exposure to a novel environment immediately after weaning acted to decrease the reinforcing properties of ethanol in an animal model for alcoholism.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Kansas State University. gdeehan@iupui.edu
authors.forename: Gerald A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Deehan
authors.forename: Matthew I
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Palmatier
authors.forename: Mary E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Cain
authors.forename: Stephen W
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Kiefer
mesh_terms: D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000235:genetics* / Q000523:psychology*; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000235:genetics / Q000523:psychology; D000818:Animals; D003216:Conditioning, Operant / Q000502:physiology*; D000431:Ethanol / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D012646:Self Administration; D012931:Social Environment
chemical_list: D000431:Ethanol