Alcohol intake and brain [3H]muscimol binding sites in alcohol-preferring and non-preferring rats

The present study has employed in vitro autoradiography to determine the distribution and density of [3H]muscimol binding sites in the brains of alcohol high-preferring line of rats (WHP) and alcohol low-preferring line of rats (WLP). While the density of [3H]muscimol binding was found to be similar in the frontal cortex, caudate-putamen, nucleus accumbens, lateral and medial septum, the density of [3H]muscimol binding was lower in cingulate cortex of alcohol low-preferring rats as compared to alcohol high preferring rats. Moreover, the density of muscimol binding sites within this area was positively correlated with the intensity of ethanol consumption.