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Chronic tolerance to ethanol in the N:NIH rat
K A Grant1, R Werner, P L Hoffman
1Unit for Special Projects, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse, Bethesda, Maryland 20892.
Alcoholism, Clinical and Experimental Research
|June 1, 1989
Summary
Researchers examined chronic ethanol tolerance in rats to enable selective breeding. They found that initial sensitivity to ethanol influenced the development of tolerance, with more sensitive rats showing greater tolerance.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Pharmacology
- Genetics
Background:
- Ethanol's motor-disrupting effects are a key area of research.
- Understanding tolerance development is crucial for studying alcohol use disorders.
- Selective breeding requires reliable measures of ethanol tolerance.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate chronic ethanol tolerance in N:NIH rats for selective breeding.
- To determine if initial ethanol sensitivity correlates with tolerance development.
Main Methods:
- Rats received an initial ethanol dose to measure blood-ethanol concentration (BEC) at the regain of aerial righting reflex (RARR).
- Rats underwent 8 days of chronic ethanol exposure via inhalation.
- BEC at RARR was re-measured after chronic exposure to assess tolerance development.
Main Results:
- Chronic ethanol exposure induced tolerance, measured as a change in BEC at RARR.
- Tolerance development was normally distributed in both male and female rats.
- A negative correlation between initial BEC and tolerance was observed using one method, but not with a regression-based index.
Conclusions:
- The study provides a basis for selectively breeding rats based on ethanol tolerance.
- Individual differences in ethanol sensitivity may predict tolerance development.
- Further research is needed to refine the measurement of ethanol tolerance.