Understanding the processes which control ethanol self- administration is of primary importance in eventual treatment and prevention of alcohol abuse and alcoholism. The nature and biological mechanisms of ethanol's reinforcing properties are central to the overall understanding of this intake control. Recently, a neural basis for reward has been postulated to be important for a variety of abused drugs. The role which this neural system plays in ethanol reinforcement and intake has yet to be thoroughly explored. The proposed studies will begin to examine the role which this brain reward system may play in ethanol self- administration. A biological model will be used in which oral ethanol self- administration is initiated without the need for food or water deprivation. When the animals are orally self-administering ethanol, a variety of agonists and antagonists active at either dopaminergic, GABAergic or benzodiazepinergic receptor sites will be injected directly into specific brain loci to determine their affect on self-administration. The drugs to be tested are halo- peridol, apomorphine, muscimol, bicuculine, chlordiazepoxide and an inverse benzodiazepine agonist. The brain areas of interest are the nucleus Accumbens, caudate putamen, the ventral tegmental area (A10), the substantia nigra and the ventral pallidum. Control animals, orally self-administering either sucrose only or concurrently administering ethanol and sucrose, will also be examined using the same procedures used for ethanol self-admini- stration. Comparison of these three self-administration conditions will allow for an initial determination of the role which the postulated brain reward system may play in ethanol self- administration.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01AA007404-04
Application #
2043860
Study Section
Biochemistry, Physiology and Medicine Subcommittee (ALCB)
Project Start
1988-12-01
Project End
1992-12-31
Budget Start
1991-12-01
Budget End
1992-12-31
Support Year
4
Fiscal Year
1992
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Washington
Department
Psychology
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
135646524
City
Seattle
State
WA
Country
United States
Zip Code
98195
Slawecki, C J; Samson, H H; Chappell, A (1999) Presentation of an ethanol-paired stimulus complex alters response patterns during extinction. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 62:127-35
Czachowski, C L; Samson, H H; Denning, C E (1999) Independent ethanol- and sucrose-maintained responding on a multiple schedule of reinforcement. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 23:398-403
Samson, H H; Slawecki, C J; Sharpe, A L et al. (1998) Appetitive and consummatory behaviors in the control of ethanol consumption: a measure of ethanol seeking behavior. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 22:1783-7
Slawecki, C J; Samson, H H (1998) Exposure to sucrose-quinine solutions does not increase ethanol consumption. Alcohol 16:329-35
Janak, P H; Redfern, J E; Samson, H H (1998) The reinforcing effects of ethanol are altered by the endogenous neurosteroid, allopregnanolone. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 22:1106-12
Slawecki, C J; Samson, H H (1997) Changes in oral ethanol self-administration patterns resulting from ethanol concentration manipulations. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 21:1144-9
Slawecki, C J; Samson, H H; Chappell, A (1997) Intranucleus accumbens amphetamine infusions enhance responding maintained by a stimulus complex paired with oral ethanol self-administration. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 58:1065-73
Hodge, C W (1994) Comparison of the discriminative stimulus function of ethanol following intracranial and systemic administration: evidence of a central mechanism. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 47:743-7
Hodge, C W; Samson, H H; Tolliver, G A et al. (1994) Effects of intraaccumbens injections of dopamine agonists and antagonists on sucrose and sucrose-ethanol reinforced responding. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 48:141-50
Samson, H H; Hodge, C W (1993) The role of the mesoaccumbens dopamine system in ethanol reinforcement: studies using the techniques of microinjection and voltammetry. Alcohol Alcohol Suppl 2:469-74

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