Adolescent rearing conditions influence the relationship between initial anxiety-like behavior and ethanol drinking in male Long Evans rats.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Rodent studies have demonstrated that adolescent social isolation results in many behavioral perturbations, including increases in anxiety-like behaviors. Socially isolated (SI) rats have also been shown to self-administer greater amounts ethanol (EtOH) in some, but not all, studies. Here, we tested whether juvenile social isolation increases EtOH drinking using an intermittent procedure that engenders relatively high intake in normally reared animals. We also compared the behavioral phenotype of rats reared under social isolation or group-housed conditions with adult rats housed under conditions commonly used in EtOH-drinking studies.

Methods

Male Long Evans rats were procured immediately postweaning and were group housed for 1 week. Subjects were then randomly d

SUBMITTER: Chappell AM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3529208 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature