Metyrapone-induced suppression of corticosterone synthesis reduces ethanol consumption in high-preferring rats

A role for corticotropin releasing factor (CRF) in ethanol consumption, sensitivity, and reward as revealed by CRF-deficient mice

“…However, previous studies have shown that experimental inhibition of glucocorticoid synthesis or secretion does not alter the acquisition or expression of a conditioned place preference to ethanol (Chester and Cunningham 1998) and actually decreases ethanol intake in rodents (Morin and Forger 1982;Fahlke et al 1994). Based on these data, the lower plasma levels of corticosterone in CRF-deficient mice are not likely to contribute to the increased ethanol consumption or reduced ethanol reward observed in the present study.…”

Effects of corticosterone on place conditioning to ethanol

“…The effect of corticosterone in decreasing the conditioned place preference to alcohol in the conventional alternate day conditioning schedule may also be in contrast to previous work showing that increases in corticosterone are associated with increased alcohol drinking, while prevention of corticosterone release decreased alcohol drinking (Fahlke 1994a(Fahlke , 1994b(Fahlke , 1995. Alcohol drinking in these studies was maintained at corticosterone concentrations somewhat lower than those measured in the present work (e.g.…”

“…An association has been demonstrated between high circulating corticosterone levels and operant self-administration of psychostimulant drugs by rats (Piazza et al 1994;Piazza and Le Moal 1996). Administration of corticosterone increased, and prevention of corticosterone or adrenalectomy decreased, voluntary drinking of ethanol by rats (Fahlke 1994a(Fahlke , 1994b(Fahlke , 1995. Few studies have been made using the place preference test, but increased place preference conditioning to alcohol has been reported in rats after conditioned fear stress (Matsuzawa et al 1998a(Matsuzawa et al , 1998b(Matsuzawa et al , 1999.…”

The role of cortisol suppression on craving for and satisfaction from nicotine in high and low impulsive subjects

“…This explains why stress-induced corticosterone secretion may be related to the vulnerability to drug abuse observed in stressed subjects (Piazza and LeMoal, 1996). Furthermore, depriving the organism of cortisol by adrenalectomy reduces the number of dopamine receptors in the striatum (Biron et al, 1992), and blockade of cortisol by metyrapone (Goeders et al, 1993;Goeders and Guerin, 1996;Piazza et al, 1994;Fahlke et al, 1994) as well as by adrenalectomy reduces self-administration of dopaminergically acting substances in animals (Piazza et al, 1991;Piazza and LeMoal, 1996;Rougé-Pont et al, 1995;Goeders and Guerin, 1996). It was demonstrated that the glucocorticoid synthesis inhibitor, metyrapone, prevents the corticosterone induced increase of extracellular DA in the nucleus accumbens (Rougé-Pont et al, 1995).…”