Drug intake has also been studied with a two bottle choice paradigm in which animals are given alcohol solution in one bottle and water in another, and measuring the amount of each that is consumed. In one study (69), it was found that the PPAR-α agonist gemfibrozil decreased ethanol intake for a 7% solution, with no effect on the daily intake of rat chow, suggesting that PPAR-α agonists may be effective in decreasing alcohol drinking. However, it should be noted that another study (70) found the opposite effect when the concentration of alcohol was gradually increased to 30%; after clofibrate administration, rats increased their intake by 127% as compared to controls that increased their intake by 27%. The latter effect was accompanied by an increase in the amount of calories consumed from alcohol and a concomitant decrease in the caloric intake from chow. The reasons for the discrepancy in the literature are unclear, but it may be related to differences in concentration of alcohol, with 7% alcohol used in the former study and 30% alcohol used in the latter. Also, dietary factors may have played a role at the higher alcohol concentration, leading to increased intake.
