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Murine Drinking Models in the Development of Pharmacotherapies for Alcoholism: Drinking in the Dark and Two-bottle Choice
Published on: January 7, 2019
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A single alcohol drinking session is sufficient to enable subsequent aversion-resistant consumption in mice
Kelly Lei1, Scott A Wegner1, Ji-Hwan Yu1
1Alcohol and Addiction Research Group, Department of Neurology, University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
Alcohol (Fayetteville, N.Y.)
|October 30, 2016
Summary
A single session of alcohol consumption in mice led to continued drinking even when alcohol became bitter. This establishes a rapid model for studying alcohol addiction mechanisms.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Behavioral Science
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Addiction involves pathological motivation for substances like alcohol.
- Alcohol-use disorders (AUDs) cause significant societal harm.
- Compulsive alcohol drinking, despite negative consequences, is a treatment challenge.
Purpose of the Study:
- To model and investigate aversion-resistant alcohol consumption in mice.
- To determine if a single alcohol exposure can induce resistance to aversive alcohol modifications.
- To establish a rapid and robust preclinical model for addiction research.
Main Methods:
- C57BL/6 mice were given initial 24-h access to alcohol or water.
- Subsequent limited daily access (LDA) involved two-bottle choice with alcohol or alcohol adulterated with quinine (100 μM).
- Alcohol intake, preference, and quinine aversion were assessed.
Main Results:
- A single 24-h alcohol-only session enhanced subsequent quinine-resistant drinking.
- Pre-exposure to alcohol with quinine reduced later intake of adulterated alcohol.
- Mice showed low preference for quinine in water, indicating quinine resistance was specific to alcohol consumption.
Conclusions:
- A single alcohol-only exposure session is sufficient to induce aversion-resistant alcohol consumption in mice.
- This effect does not stem from altered quinine palatability.
- The model offers a rapid method to study mechanisms underlying aversion-resistant alcohol consumption.
