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Alcohol and Alcoholism Vol. 37, No. 2, pp. 128-131, 2002
© 2002 Medical Council on Alcohol

GAMMA-HYDROXYBUTYRIC ACID VERSUS ALCOHOL PREFERENCE IN SARDINIAN ALCOHOL-PREFERRING RATS

Salvatore Serra1,2, Giancarlo Colombo3,*, Samuele Melis1, Giovanni Vacca1,2, Mauro A. M. Carai1 and Gian Luigi Gessa1,3

1 Neuroscienze S.c.a r.l., Via Palabanda 9, I-09123 Cagliari,
2 ‘Bernard B. Brodie’ Department of Neuroscience, University of Cagliari, S.S. 554, Km. 4.5, I-09042 Monserrato (CA) and
3 C.N.R. Institute of Neurogenetics and Neuropharmacology, S.S. 554, Km. 4.5, I-09042 Monserrato (CA), Italy

Received 20 April 2001; first review notified 13 July 2001; accepted 16 August 2001

Previous experiments demonstrated that the selectively bred Sardinian alcohol-preferring (sP) rats possess a genetically based proclivity to consume pharmacologically relevant doses of gamma-hydroxybutyric acid (GHB). The present study was aimed at comparing the reinforcing properties of GHB and ethanol, measuring the propensity of sP rats to consume GHB and ethanol when both drugs were concomitantly available. Initially, two groups of sP rats (ethanol-naive and ethanol-experienced, respectively) were forced to consume GHB in order to help them discover the reinforcing properties, which could then prevail over the unpleasant taste of the GHB solution. Subsequently GHB (at concentrations increasing from 1 to 6% w/v) was offered in free choice with water and all rats consumed pharmacologically relevant amounts of GHB. Finally, under the free-choice regimen between GHB (presented to each rat at its preferred concentration), ethanol and water, daily ethanol intake averaged ~6 g/kg (i.e. the amount of ethanol usually consumed by sP rats), whereas GHB intake declined by ~75%. In the few rats showing a high intake of GHB, ethanol intake was not altered. No difference in GHB drinking behaviour was ever recorded between ethanol-naive and ethanol-experienced rats. The results of the present study demonstrate that freely available GHB is not capable of altering ethanol preference and consumption in sP rats and suggest that the postulated reciprocal substitutability of the two drugs does not completely include the reinforcing properties, at least in sP rats and when oral self-administration of GHB is considered. The results also provide a model of the low abuse liability of GHB observed in human alcoholics.


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