THYROTROPIN-RELEASING-HORMONE ANALOG TA-0910 REDUCES VOLUNTARY ALCOHOL INTAKE OF P-RATS SUBCHRONICALLY IN A LIMITED SCHEDULED ACCESS PARADIGM

We previously reported that single intraperitoneal injections of the t hyrotropin-releasing hormone analog TA-0910 dose-dependently reduce al cohol intake in alcohol-preferring (P) rats in a free-choice continuou s access protocol. We later showed, using the same protocol, that a tr ansient tolerance develops to this effect after several consecutive, o nce-daily injections. In the present study, P rats that had been accus tomed to continuous access to alcohol were acclimated to a limited sch eduled access protocol in which alcohol was available only between 10 and 11 AM. This resulted in an elevated rate of alcohol intake, Rats w ere then injected once daily with TA-0910 (0.75 mg/kg) or an equal vol ume of a saline vehicle at 9:45 AM for 12 consecutive days. After 11 d ays of scheduled access, rats were allowed continuous access to alcoho l, Intake of alcohol and water was measured each day at 11:00 AM, Comp ared with vehicle, TA-0910 reduced alcohol intake on the 11 days of sc heduled access and during the first hour of day 12 when continuous acc ess was restored, but did not reduce total (24 hr) alcohol intake on d ay 12 Data from this experiment show that TA-0910 reduces alcohol inta ke over a long period of time in a limited scheduled access protocol.