TY - JOUR
T1 - Wheel running, voluntary ethanol consumption, and hedonic substitution
AU - Ozburn, Angela Renee
AU - Harris, R. Adron
AU - Blednov, Yuri A.
N1 - Funding Information:
We would like to thank Marni Martinez for her assistance in data collection and Dr. Igor Ponomarev for his comments on early versions of this manuscript. This research was supported by the Integrative Neuroscience Initiative on Alcoholism Consortium Grant AA13520, and NIH Grants AA06399-S and AA16424.
PY - 2008/8
Y1 - 2008/8
N2 - Few studies have examined the relationship between naturally rewarding behaviors and ethanol drinking behaviors in mice. Although natural and drug reinforcers activate similar brain circuitry, there is behavioral evidence suggesting food and drug rewards differ in perceived value. The primary goal of the present study was to investigate the relationships between naturally reinforcing stimuli and consumption of ethanol in ethanol preferring C57BL/6J mice. Mouse behaviors were observed after the following environmental manipulations: standard or enhanced environment, accessible or inaccessible wheel, and presence or absence of ethanol. Using a high-resolution volumetric drinking monitor and wheel running monitor, we evaluated whether alternating access to wheel running modified ethanol-related behaviors and whether alternating access to ethanol modified wheel running or subsequent ethanol-related behaviors. We found that ethanol consumption remains stable with alternating periods of wheel running. Wheel running increases in the absence of ethanol and decreases upon reintroduction of ethanol. Upon reintroduction of ethanol, an alcohol deprivation effect was seen. Collectively, the results support theories of hedonic substitution and suggest that female C57BL/6J mice express ethanol seeking and craving under these specific conditions.
AB - Few studies have examined the relationship between naturally rewarding behaviors and ethanol drinking behaviors in mice. Although natural and drug reinforcers activate similar brain circuitry, there is behavioral evidence suggesting food and drug rewards differ in perceived value. The primary goal of the present study was to investigate the relationships between naturally reinforcing stimuli and consumption of ethanol in ethanol preferring C57BL/6J mice. Mouse behaviors were observed after the following environmental manipulations: standard or enhanced environment, accessible or inaccessible wheel, and presence or absence of ethanol. Using a high-resolution volumetric drinking monitor and wheel running monitor, we evaluated whether alternating access to wheel running modified ethanol-related behaviors and whether alternating access to ethanol modified wheel running or subsequent ethanol-related behaviors. We found that ethanol consumption remains stable with alternating periods of wheel running. Wheel running increases in the absence of ethanol and decreases upon reintroduction of ethanol. Upon reintroduction of ethanol, an alcohol deprivation effect was seen. Collectively, the results support theories of hedonic substitution and suggest that female C57BL/6J mice express ethanol seeking and craving under these specific conditions.
KW - Alcohol deprivation effect
KW - Alcohol or ethanol consumption
KW - Enhanced environment
KW - Hedonic substitution
KW - Wheel running
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U2 - 10.1016/j.alcohol.2008.04.006
DO - 10.1016/j.alcohol.2008.04.006
M3 - Article
C2 - 18579336
AN - SCOPUS:46449088691
SN - 0741-8329
VL - 42
SP - 417
EP - 424
JO - Alcohol
JF - Alcohol
IS - 5
ER -