Increasing the rate of ethanol consumption in food- and water-satiated rats

The effects of food satiation, ethanol concentration, and the schedule of ethanol availability on the rate of ethanol consumption were investigated in rats. In Experiment 1 separate groups were exposed to 6.2 or 12.5% w/v ethanol and unlimited access to food. The food and ethanol were available concurrently for one to three hours daily. After approximately 15 sessions unlimited food was available whenever ethanol was not available. The rate of ethanol consumption was positively related to ethanol concentration and negatively related to duration of ethanol availability. In Experiment 2 similar procedures were followed, except rats had unlimited access to food throughout the experiment. The results were similar to Experiment 1. In Experiment 3 separate groups were exposed to 6.2 and 12.5% w/v ethanol for one hour every other day; unlimited food was available throughout the experiment. The results were similar to the one-hour availability groups in Experiments 1 and 2. In all experiments ethanol consumption rates increased to levels above baseline and above the usual ethanol metabolic rate found in rats. The results demonstrated new combinations of ethanol availability and non-availability durations that were sufficient to significantly increase the rate of ethanol consumption.