Social Housing Leads to Increased Ethanol Intake in Male Mice Housed in Environmentally Enriched Cages.

ABSTRACT: An individual's social environment affects alcohol intake. However, the complex interactions between social context and alcohol intake remain understudied in preclinical models. In the present study, we sought to characterize the effects of social housing on voluntary ethanol intake in male C567BL/6J mice using a continuous access two-bottle choice model. This was accomplished using HM2 cages, which allow for the continuous monitoring of individuals' fluid intake through radiofrequency tracking while they remain undisturbed in a group setting. These cages are moderately environmentally enriched compared to standard shoebox cages. By analyzing the levels of voluntary ethanol intake between socially- and individually-housed mice in HM2 cages, we were able to parse apart the effects of enviro

SUBMITTER: Fulenwider HD 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8253159 | biostudies-literature | 2021

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature