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Dopamine Release During Ethanol Drinking in AA Rats
Author(s) -
Nurmi Maria,
Sinclair John David,
Kiianmaa Kalervo
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
alcoholism: clinical and experimental research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.267
H-Index - 153
eISSN - 1530-0277
pISSN - 0145-6008
DOI - 10.1111/j.1530-0277.1998.tb03959.x
Subject(s) - ethanol , dopamine , nucleus accumbens , microdialysis , alcohol , saccharin , chemistry , psychology , endocrinology , anesthesia , medicine , biochemistry
The dopamine overflow in the nucleus accumbens of rats from the high alcohol drinking AA line was measured by microdialysis before, during, and after one‐half hour sessions of cued drinking of ethanol flavored with saccharin and peppermint or, as a control, saccharinpeppermint drinking. The animals had had extensive previous experience with ethanol drinking. Self‐administration of the ethanol solution did not raise the dopamine level substantially: there was a small (17%) but significant increase only during the first 10 min after the onset of drinking. Giving the rats a cue for ethanol, which was part of their daily routine drinking regime, did not raise the dopamine level before ethanol was presented to the rats (i.e., during “anticipation”). The results are consistent with our previous studies showing a lack of a large ethanol‐induced dopamine response in rats with previous experience of drinking ethanol and with the idea that although dopamine may play some role in alcohol drinking, it is not the central substrate producing the reinforcement from ethanol in AA rats.