Initial sensitivity, acute tolerance and alcohol consumption in four inbred strains of rats

Abstract

Initial sensitivity and acute tolerance to ethanol were determined in a jumping test in separate groups of spontaneously hypertensive (SH) and normotensive Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats, and of Dahl salt-sensitive (SS) and salt-resistant (SR) rats. One week later, voluntary consumption of ethanol was studied in all groups. SH rats were found to be more sensitive than WKY, but there was no difference in acute tolerance development between these two strains. SH rats, however, drank significantly more alcohol than the WKY in both the two-bottle choice paradigm and the limited access model. Similarly, SS rats drank significantly more alcohol than the SR rats, although SS rats were found to be more sensitive to ethanol than SR. There was again no difference in acute tolerance development between these two strains. These observations suggest that difference in alcohol consumption in these strains cannot be accounted for by significant differences in acute tolerance or in initial sensitivity to ethanol.

Comparison of voluntary ethanol intake by two pairs of rat lines used as genetic models of anxiety

“…Therefore, it was surprising to find here that the SHR strain showed higher voluntary intake of ethanol than the Lewis strain. It is known that SHR are more sensitive to the hypnotic effects of ethanol and consume more ethanol than the normotensive Wistar-Kyoto rats (28). This is consistent with the data reported by Wood et al (29), which show that genetically hypertensive mice drink more ethanol than normotensive mice.…”

Individual differences in initial sensitivity and acute tolerance predict patterns of chronic drug tolerance to nitrous-oxide-induced hypothermia in rats

“…Schuckit and colleagues (2001) estimate that approximately 40% of children of alcoholics are relatively insensitive to ethanol while only 10% of children of non-alcoholics have this characteristic. Animal research has investigated whether these initial intrasessional factors are associated with subsequent chronic tolerance development or drug consumption by using rodents from outbred and inbred strains, as well as knock-out mice and selectively bred lines for drug consumption, drug sensitivity, and acute tolerance [e.g., outbred strains (Tabakoff and Culp 1984;San-Marina et al 1989;Khanna et al 1990b;Khanna et al 1991); inbred strains (Crabbe et al 1982;Tabakoff and Culp 1984;Khanna et al 1990a;Crabbe et al 1994;Gehle and Erwin 2000); knock-out mice (Naassila et al 2002); lines selectively bred for consumption (Tampier and Mardones 1999;Tampier et al 2000;Bell et al 2001); lines selectively bred for sensitivity (Khanna et al 1985;Crabbe et al 1989;Limm andCrabbe 1992: Crabbe 1994;Browman et al 2000;Deitrich et al 2000;Draski et al 2001;Palmer et al 2002); lines selectively bred for acute tolerance (Deitrich et al 2000;Rustay et al 2001;Wu et al 2001)]. While the scientific literature is in general agreement that initial sensitivity and acute tolerance are relevant to the subsequent development of chronic tolerance and drug consumption, a coherent description of this relationship has not emerged.…”

Rapid Tolerance and Locomotor Sensitization in Ethanol‐Naïve Adolescent Rhesus Macaques

“…In rodents, a relationship between the development of acute tolerance and voluntary consumption of ethanol has been found in rats strains genetically prone to high ethanol consumption (Bell et al, 2001;Erwin et al, 1980;Le and Kiianmaa, 1988;Lumeng et al, 1982;Quintanilla, 2002, 2003;Waller et al, 1983). However, this relationship with acute tolerance is not seen in other rat strains (Khanna et al, 1990(Khanna et al, , 1991b. In terms of rapid tolerance development, alcohol-preferring P rats develop rapid tolerance to the motor-impairing effects of ethanol at a moderately high dose (1.5 g ⁄ kg); however, alcohol-nonpreferring rats also develop rapid tolerance, but at lower doses (Bell et al, 2001).…”