SHAM INTAKE OF ETHANOL IN P-RATS

Alcohol-preferring (P) rats were surgically fitted with gastric fistul as, and intakes of 10% ethanol solution were measured in I-h sessions either with the fistula closed (normal drinking) or open (sham drinkin g). In water-replete P rats in which ethanol access was limited to 1 h /day, no increase in intake was noted in the sham compared with normal drinking tests in the day. A small increase was seen when the sham dr inking test was conducted at night. In water-deprived P rats, sham int ake of ethanol was elevated over intakes in closed fistula trials. How ever, in comparison with water intake on separate test days, sham inta ke of ethanol by P rats was lower and satiated after 15-30 min. The ab sence of robust sham alcohol drinking in P rats is similar to what we have previously reported in normal Sprague-Dawley rats, suggesting tha t preabsorptive factors alone do not account for the strain difference s in ethanol preference.