R. Agabio et al., Alcohol stimulates motor activity in selectively bred Sardinian alcohol-preferring (sP), but not in Sardinian alcohol-nonpreferring (sNP), rats, ALCOHOL, 23(2), 2001, pp. 123-126
The present study was conducted to evaluate the effect of low doses of etha
nol on motor activity in selectively bred Sardinian alcohol-preferring (sP)
and Sardinian alcohol-nonpreferring (sNP) rats. Ethanol was acutely admini
stered at the doses of 0, 0.25, and 0.5 g/kg (i.p.) immediately before rat
exposure to an open-field arena for 15 min. The number of square crossings,
used as index of motor activity, was significantly lower in saline-treated
sP than in saline-treated sNP rats, suggestive of a genetically determined
higher emotional state in sP than in sNP rats. Ethanol administration resu
lted in a dose-dependent, significant increase in the number of square cros
sings in sP rats, whereas it was completely ineffective in sNP rats. These
results suggest to us that a positive relationship exists between ethanol p
reference and ethanol-induced motor stimulation in sP/sNP rat lines. (C) 20
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