CONDITIONED FEAR STRESS INDUCES ETHANOL-ASSOCIATED PLACE PREFERENCE IN RATS

The purpose of the present study was to establish ethanol-induced plac e preference under conditioned fear stress (exposure to an environment paired previously with electric foot shock) in rats by using the cond itioned place preference paradigm. The administration of ethanol (300 mg/kg, i.p.) with conditioned fear stress, but not without conditioned fear stress, induced a marked and significant place preference. Furth ermore, additional exposure to conditioned fear stress immediately bef ore the post-conditioning test further enhanced the development of eth anol-induced place preference. These results suggest that psychologica l stress may play an important role in the development of ethanol-indu ced place preference, and the present method may be useful for studyin g the mechanism of the rewarding effect of ethanol. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V.