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Extended schedule transfer of ethanol discrimination
Pharmacology, Biochemistry, and Behavior
|January 1, 1981
Summary
Pentobarbital reduced ethanol-lever selection in rats, with an ED50 of 4 mg/kg. Ethanol self-administration perseverance was not significantly affected by pentobarbital compared to training doses.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Pharmacology
- Behavioral Science
Background:
- Establishing stimulus control is crucial for understanding drug effects on behavior.
- Ethanol and pentobarbital are central nervous system depressants with complex behavioral effects.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effects of pentobarbital on ethanol-reinforced behavior in rats.
- To determine the dose-response relationship of pentobarbital in a two-lever choice task.
Main Methods:
- Rats were trained to discriminate between ethanol and saline using a two-lever choice task and food reinforcement.
- Pentobarbital was administered at doses ranging from 2 to 12 mg/kg to assess its impact on lever selection and perseverance.
Main Results:
- Pentobarbital decreased the selection of the ethanol-associated lever in a dose-dependent manner, with an ED50 of 4 mg/kg.
- At the ED50 dose, pentobarbital did not significantly alter perseverance on the ethanol lever compared to ethanol alone.
- Saline-lever perseverance was higher with saline than ethanol-lever perseverance with ethanol.
Conclusions:
- Pentobarbital disrupts the discriminative stimulus properties of ethanol.
- The extended schedule performance procedure is a valuable tool for assessing drug effects in behavioral tasks.