SPONTANEOUS PREFERENCE FOR ETHANOL IN NAIVE RATS IS INFLUENCED BY CHOLECYSTOKININ(A) RECEPTOR ANTAGONISM

Naive adult male Wistar rats free to choose between water or 10% ethan ol (v/v) spontaneously became water-preferring (WP) rats, as they dran k mainly water (approximately 35 ml per day), or alcohol-drinking (ED) rats, as they also drank a significant amount of ethanol (approximate ly 14 ml per day). The selective CCKA receptor antagonist L-364,718 at doses selective for the CCKA receptor (5 mu g/kg, IP) halved the cons umption of alcohol of the ED rats without modifiying their total liqui d intake. In contrast, the CCKB antagonists L-365,260 or GV150013 were without effect when used at doses selective for the CCKB receptor. Th ese data indicate that the CCK system could be involved in the modulat ion of alcohol intake. In particular, they suggest that CCKB receptors could play a role in the ethanol preference. (C) 1997 Elsevier Scienc e Inc.