Chunk #55 — 5. Procedures for evaluating pharmacological treatments targeting alcohol abuse and dependence — 5.2. Acquisition of ethanol drinking in the home-cage
The acquisition of ethanol intake is tested by either administering a compound concurrently with the initial days/periods of ethanol access, or by pretreating the animal before they receive their initial days/periods of ethanol access. In one such study, Sable et al. (2006) administered naltrexone, a pan-opioid antagonist, subcutaneously daily during the initial 10 days of ethanol access in male and female adolescent and adult P rats. These authors reported a dose-dependent reduction (modest effects at lower doses of 5 or 10 mg/kg and robust effects at higher doses of 20 or 30 mg/kg) in ethanol intake by both sexes and during both stages of development. Moreover, adolescent rats appeared to be more sensitive than their adult counterparts to these effects of naltrexone. Water and food intake as well as body weight were also monitored, with a compensatory increase in water and food intake in those animals showing the greatest reductions in ethanol intake. This latter finding suggests that the adipsic effects of naltrexone were specific for ethanol consumption. In another study from our laboratory, the effects of MDL72222, a 5-HT3
