There is increasing evidence that there is a genetic predisposition to alcoholism, but the nature of the genetic influence on alcoholism is only partially understood. One approach to the investigation of genetic determinants of behavioral and pharmacological responses to ethanol (EtOH) has been to study inbred strains of rats. The proposed studies will investigate the role of taste aversion learning in mediating rat strain differences in ETOH self-administration. Identification of EtOH-specific strain differences in taste aversion learning would support the use of these rat strains as animal models of human alcoholism as well as clarify the behavioral processes involved in ETOH self-administration. On the other hand, a finding that strain differences in taste aversion learning are not EtOH-specific would provide important information on the limitation of these strains as models of human alcoholism. In a series of studies, inbred rat strains known to differ in ETOH preference, tolerance and metabolism will be studied to see if they differ in conditioned aversion to an ETOH solution following self-administration. It is hypothesized that low-preference strains will drink more ETOH initially than high-preference strains but as a consequence will develop stronger conditioned aversions. Further, the relationship between EtOH preference and effectiveness of EtOH as a conditioned and unconditioned stimulus will be studied. Also investigated will be the relationship between drinking pattern and EtOH preference.
| Cannon, D S; Leeka, J K (1990) Effect of body weight on ethanol-induced taste aversion learning. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 37:379-81 |
