In summary, the results of the present study suggest that, under intermittent ethanol drinking conditions, gene expression levels may reach a near normal steady state level, which may be sufficient to maintain altered protein levels in the ACB. Because gene expression was determined 15 hr after removal of ethanol in the CA group, these changes may also reflect withdrawal-responsive genes rather than purely ethanol-responsive genes. Nevertheless, because a number of the genes identified as significant in the present study have also been described in the literature on drug and/or alcohol abuse, these genes may serve as candidates for continued research into the neurobiology of drug and/or alcohol abuse.
