Development of ethanol tolerance not altered by 6-OHDA lesions of dorsal bundle

It has been demonstrated via intraventricular (IVT) 6-OHDA infusions that central nervous system norepinephrine is necessary for the development of tolerance to ethanol (ETOH) in the mouse. Because 6-OHDA IVT infusions are not specific, we tested the effects of destruction of a specific NE pathway on development of ETOH tolerance. Rats received 6-OHDA lesions of the dorsal noradrenergic bundle (DB) and the development of ethanol tolerance was measured using the sleeptime test. The time between loss and recovery of the righting reflex was determined after an acute challenge dose of ETOH. Rats were than placed on ETOH diet for 13 days followed by a repeat of the sleeptime test. Sham and 6-OHDA-DB-lesioned rats exhibited the same sleeptime prior to ETOH diet, consumed similar amounts of ETOH diet over the course of 13 days, and exhibited similar significantly (p less than 0.0005) shorter sleeptimes after ETOH diet. Our data suggest that destruction of the DB does not alter development of ETOH tolerance as measured by the sleeptime test.