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Updated: Aug 9, 2026
A General Method for Evaluating Incubation of Sucrose Craving in Rats
Published on: November 4, 2011
Self-administration of intravenous amphetamine is predicted by individual differences in sucrose feeding in rats
N J DeSousa1, D E Bush, F J Vaccarino
1Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5S 363.
Rationale:
Previous studies have shown that individual differences in oral sucrose consumption are predictive of the psychomotor and dopamine (DA) stimulant properties of amphetamine in rats.
Objectives:
The present experiment was designed to examine the relationship between sucrose feeding and the reinforcing properties of amphetamine using the intravenous (i.v.) drug self-administration paradigm.
Methods:
Based on a median split of sucrose intake during a final 1-h feeding test session, male Wistar rats were designated as either low (LSF) or high sucrose feeders (HSF). Acquisition of i. v.-amphetamine self-administration across ten daily 30-min sessions was then assessed. Following acquisition, i.v. self-administration of several doses of amphetamine was similarly tested across daily 30-min sessions.
Results:
Data from this experiment revealed augmented responding in HSF compared with LSF during acquisition of amphetamine self-administration. Correspondingly, when given access to different doses of amphetamine, responding was greater in HSF than in LSF across several doses (3 microg and 10 microg per infusion).
Conclusions:
These data support the notion that individual differences in oral sucrose consumption are predictive of the reinforcing properties of psychostimulant drugs.
