EFFECTS OF ISOLATION-REARING ON VOLUNTARY CONSUMPTION OF ETHANOL, SUCROSE AND SACCHARIN SOLUTIONS IN FAWN-HOODED AND WISTAR RATS

These experiments examined the hypothesis that isolation-rearing and s train influence hedonic mechanisms. In experiment 1, voluntary consump tion of ethanol and water was monitored in the home cage of Fawn Hoode d (FH) and Wistar rats. FH rats were found to consume more ethanol at low concentrations than Wistar rats, independent of rearing condition, and isolation-reared rats were found to consume more of high ethanol concentrations, independent of strain. In experiment 2, isolation-rear ed rats were found to consume more sucrose, independent of concentrati on, than socially reared rats. In experiment 3, Fawn Hooded rats were found to be more sensitive to low concentration solutions of saccharin , and to consume less of the high concentration solutions, while isola tion-rearing was found to enhance consumption of high concentrations. Thus, hedonic processes are independently modulated by strain and rear ing conditions, although the effects of isolation-rearing appear to be exacerbated in Fawn Wooded rats.