In summary, adolescent binge-like alcohol drinking (ethanol intakes of 2.5 – 3.0 g/kg/session) by P rats produced effects on the expression of genes involved in multiple biological cellular pathways in the Acb-sh and CeA. These pathways included several important intracellular signaling systems, e.g., cAMP-mediated, glucocorticoid receptor signaling, protein kinase A signaling, etc, with more genes up-regulated than down-regulated in the alcohol group. Some of the changes in gene expression produced by adolescent binge-like drinking may be unique to the selectively bred P rat, and/or unique to this stage of development.
