ORAL TAURINE SUPPLEMENTATION MODULATES ETHANOL-CONDITIONED STIMULUS PREFERENCE

The present study investigated the possible modulatory action of oral taurine supplementation on the rewarding and aversive properties of lo w and high ethanol doses in male Wistar rats. A vinegar odor stimulus was daily paired with either ethanol (0.3 or 2.0 g/kg) or saline. In a ddition, half of the rats were supplemented orally with taurine (0.5 g /kg/day). After eight conditioning sessions, all rats were tested for their vinegar stimulus preference or aversion. In nontaurine-treated r ats, 2.0 g/kg ethanol conditioning induced a significant aversion for the vinegar stimulus, while there was no preference after 0.3 g/kg eth anol conditioning. However, in taurine-supplemented rats, the 2.0 g/kg ethanol-induced aversion for the stimulus was decreased significantly , while the rats administered the lower ethanol doses, 0.3 g/kg, in co mbination with taurine supplementation, demonstrated a significant sti mulus preference. Such results suggest that taurine modulates some of the aversive or rewarding effects of ethanol. (C) 1998 Elsevier Scienc e Inc.