Short-term selection for high and low ethanol intake during adolescence exerts lingering effects in stress-induced ethanol drinking and yields an anxiety-prone phenotype.

Ethanol use is widespread in adolescents, yet only some transition to problematic drinking. It is important to understand why the risk for problematic drinking varies across sub-groups of adolescents. This study reports a short-term selection program to generate Wistar rat lines (high and low adolescent ethanol drinking, ADHI and ADLO lines, respectively) that significantly differ in ethanol drinking at adolescence.

The offspring of rats selected for high or low ethanol intake at adolescence exhibit differential ethanol-induced Fos immunoreactivity in the central amygdala and in nucleus accumbens core.

Adolescents exhibit, when compared to adults, altered responsivity to the unconditional effects of ethanol. It is unclear if this has a role in the excessive ethanol intake of adolescents. Wistar rats from the third filial generation (F) of a short-term breeding program which were selected for high (STDRHI) vs.

Restraint stress enhances alcohol intake in adolescent female rats but reduces alcohol intake in adolescent male and adult female rats.

Adolescents may be more sensitive to stress-induced alcohol drinking than adults, which would explain the higher prevalence of alcohol abuse and dependence in late adolescence than in adulthood. The present study analyzed the impact of restraint stress on the initiation of alcohol intake across 2 weeks of intermittent, two-bottle choice intake in male and female adolescent rats and adult female rats. Restraint stress significantly increased alcohol intake and preference in female adolescent rats but decreased alcohol intake and preference in male adolescent and female adult rats.