An operant ethanol self-administration paradigm that discriminates between appetitive and consummatory behaviors reveals distinct behavioral phenotypes in commonly used rat strains.

ABSTRACT: Alcohol use disorder (AUD) constitutes a major burden to global health. Recently, the translational success of animal models of AUD has come under increased scrutiny. Efforts to refine models to gain a more precise understanding of the neurobiology of addiction are warranted. Appetitive responding for ethanol (seeking) and its consumption (taking) are governed by distinct neurobiological mechanisms. However, consumption is often inferred from appetitive responding in operant ethanol self-administration paradigms, preventing identification of distinct experimental effects on seeking and taking. In the present study, male Long-Evans, Wistar, and Sprague-Dawley rats were trained to lever press for ethanol using a lickometer-equipped system that precisely measures both appetitive and consummat

SUBMITTER: Patwell R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8578460 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature