Activity stress effects on voluntary ethanol consumption, mortality and ulcer development in rats

The present study was designed to investigate the relationship between activity stress, alcohol consumption and ulcer proliferation. Ethanol consuming rats were initially divided into low, medium or high ethanol preferring groups on the basis of daily ethanol intake (g/kg/day). Following a habituation period in activity cages, animals were fed for 1 hr per day. Access to both water and ethanol remained ad lib. Yoked control home cage animals were fed the same amount of food consumed by their wheel-housed partners. This procedure continued until wheel-housed animals died, at which time they and their yoked home cage control partners were examined for ulcers. Results indicated that in contrast to the yoked controls, only the high ethanol-preferring rats reduced their ethanol consumption. Although no differences were apparent in ulcer frequency (mean number of ulcers per rat) or severity (mean cumulative ulcer length in millimeters), animals exposed to ethanol had a lower ulcer incidence (number of rats per group developing ulcers) and mortality rate than non-ethanol exposed animals.