Metabolic mapping of the effects of oral alcohol self-administration in rats.

The functional effects of the voluntary consumption of ethanol in rats were investigated using the quantitative autoradiographic 2-[14C]deoxyglucose method for measurement of rates of local cerebral glucose utilization. A modified sucrose-substitution procedure was used to train three groups of Wistar rats to self-administer water, a 5% sucrose solution, or a 10% ethanol/5% sucrose solution in daily sessions. Once stable rates of consumption were established, the 2-[14C]deoxyglucose method was applied immediately after completion of the final test session.

II. Functional consequences of intragastrically administered ethanol in rats as measured by the 2-[14C]deoxyglucose method: the contribution of dopamine.

As outlined in the companion paper, many of the changes in functional activity produced by acute intragastric ethanol administration as determined by the quantitative autoradiographic 2-[14C]deoxyglucose method occur in structures of the mesocorticolimbic and nigrostriatal dopamine circuits. In this study, a dopaminergic antagonist, flupenthixol, was used to determine the contribution of dopamine to the ethanol-induced increases in functional activity. To assess the ability of flupenthixol to block dopaminergic-induced increases in glucose utilization, it was first examined in conjunction with the indirect dopaminergic agonist methylphenidate.

I. Functional consequences of intragastrically administered ethanol in rats as measured by the 2-[14C]deoxyglucose method.

The 2-[14C] deoxyglucose (2DG) method was used to examine the effects of the acute, intragastric (IG) administration of ethanol on rates of local cerebral glucose utilization (LCGU) in male Sprague-Dawley rats. The 2DG technique was initiated 3 min after the administration of 0.25, 1.

Metabolic mapping of the effects of chronic voluntary ethanol consumption in rats.

The 2-[14C]deoxyglucose method was used to examine the effects of chronic, voluntary ethanol consumption on rates of local cerebral glucose utilization (LCGU). LCGU was measured in male Long-Evans rats immediately following the completion of a 60-min schedule-induced polydipsia drinking session. Three groups of animals were examined: animals with a history of ethanol consumption that received ethanol on the test day (ethanol-ethanol), animals with a similar ethanol history that were presented with water on the test day (ethanol-water), and a control group that received water throughout the experiment (water-water).

Low and moderate doses of ethanol produce distinct patterns of cerebral metabolic changes in rats.

The quantitative autoradiographic 2-[14C]deoxyglucose method was used to measure the effects of the acute administration of ethanol on local rates of glucose utilization in male Sprague-Dawley rats. Rates of glucose utilization were measured 10 min after the intraperitoneal administration of 0.00, 0.