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Thursday, September 11, 2008

Schedule-induced Polydipsia in Lines of Rats Selectively Bred for High and Low Ethanol Preference
Behavior Genetics September 09, 2008


Ethanol drinking was assessed in the P/NP, HAD1/LAD1, and HAD2/LAD2 lines of rats under environmental conditions that produce schedule-induced polydipsia.

Female rats (n = 8/line), maintained at 85% of free-feeding body weights, underwent daily 1-h sessions during which 45-mg food pellets were delivered every 60 s. Water, 2, 4, 8, 16, or 32% w/v ethanol solution was available from a single bottle for 8 consecutive sessions at each concentration, with blood-ethanol levels (BELs) determined after selected sessions.

P and HAD2 rats drank more water and ethanol than their non-preferring counterparts, while HAD1 and LAD1 rats did not differ. Ethanol intake and BELs were positively correlated (r = 0.75) across lines. Finally, rats were allowed 14 daily choice sessions with 8% ethanol and water concurrently available. Water intake generally exceeded ethanol intake in all lines, while P rats drank similar amounts of both fluids.

These line differences indicate pleiotropic effects of genes that mediate ethanol intake and schedule-induced behaviors.

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