DO TASTE FACTORS CONTRIBUTE TO THE MEDIATION OF ETHANOL INTAKE - ETHANOL AND SACCHARIN-QUININE INTAKE IN 3 RAT STRAINS

Several recent studies have suggested that ethanol-preferring rodents may also have an affinity for sweet solutions (saccharin, sucross) and , conversely, that saccharin preference may predict ethanol preference . The purpose of the present investigation was to determine whether in take of ethanol and saccharin-quinine (SQ) solutions would be related in three nonselected strains of rats who differ in their ethanol prefe rence: Lewis, Wistar Kyoto, and Wistar, In the first phase of the expe riment, all animals were presented with an ascending series of ethanol solutions (2 to 10%) in free choice with water, followed by a 10-day maintenance period of 10% ethanol with water. In the second phase, the same animals were presented with an ascending series of SQ solutions (saccharin: 0.4%, quinine: 0.001 to 0.04%) in free choice with water, followed by a 10-day maintenance period of 0.4% saccharin with 0.04% q uinine and water. The results revealed an absence of a direct relation ship between ethanol and SQ consumption. The ethanol-nonpreferring Lew is rats showed a greater preference for the SQ solutions than Wistar K yoto rats, whereas the ethanol-preferring Wistar Kyoto strain consiste ntly consumed significantly less SQ, Wistar rats showed relatively sta ble consumption levels for both solutions that fell between those of t he other two strains, These results suggested that the relationship be tween ethanol and So preference in rats was not a direct one and did n ot support the findings in the literature of a simple overall positive relationship between sweet and ethanol preference. These data do, how ever, provide further evidence for taste factors in the mediation of s elf-selection of ethanol in rats.