It is also helpful to know what levels of alcohol are reached in rodent models as the majority of in vivo alcohol research is done in mice and rats. In voluntary alcohol consumption rodent models, BACs will typically be around the L range from 5–30 mM in continuous 2-bottle choice [4] and operant procedures [3]. Using intermittent access [4–6] and “drinking in the dark” procedures [7], BACs of individual mice may vary widely, but can reach anywhere within L and M ranges, between 10–50 mM. In forced alcohol exposure methods, BACs can be more readily controlled via ethanol gavage, intraperitoneal injection, and vapor exposure - often in conjunction with the alcohol dehydrogenase inhibitor pyrazole [indeed, in rodents such methods are almost always required to achieve BACs in the H range]. Typically, in these procedures target BACs are within the M range of 30–50 mM. Chronic or intermittent exposure to these levels are known to lead to behavioral symptoms of alcohol dependence and withdrawal [8]. For reasons outlined above, we will focus almost all of this review on work that corresponds to the L and M dose ranges.
