Abstract
Agents affecting serotonergic (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) function influence ethanol consumption in rats and primates. In the present study female Sprague-Dawley rats were trained to orally self-administer 8% ethanol (v/v) in a large operant chamber in a 60-min test period by a prandial drinking technique. The number of responses, ethanol reinforcers (dipper deliveries), and ethanol consumption (g/kg) were measured following administration of the 5-HT 1A agonist 8-OH-DPAT (0.001–1.0 mg/kg, ip) 30 min prior to testing. Locomotor activity (LMA) was also measured to assess activity changes induced by 8-OH-DPAT. 8-OH-DPAT selectively reduced ethanol ingestion from 17.1±3.2 dipper deliveries under vehicle conditions to 6.6±3 at a dose of 0.1 mg/kg. Higher doses of 8-OH-DPAT (0.5 and 1.0 mg/kg) significantly reduced both ethanol ingestion and LMA. Lower doses of 0.001–0.01 mg/kg of 8-OH-DPAT were without effect on ethanol intake and maintained behavior. These results demonstrate that, under the present experimental conditions, the 5-HT 1A receptor agonist 8-OH-DPAT reduced ethanol self-administration in the rat, and support a role for 5-HT 1A receptors in the mediation of ethanol reinforcement.
Published Version
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