Skip to main content
Journal cover image

Aversive effects of ethanol in adolescent versus adult rats: potential causes and implication for future drinking.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Schramm-Sapyta, NL; DiFeliceantonio, AG; Foscue, E; Glowacz, S; Haseeb, N; Wang, N; Zhou, C; Kuhn, CM
Published in: Alcohol Clin Exp Res
December 2010

BACKGROUND: Many people experiment with alcohol and other drugs of abuse during their teenage years. Epidemiological evidence suggests that younger initiates into drug taking are more likely to develop problematic drug seeking behavior, including binge and other high-intake behaviors. The level of drug intake for any individual depends on the balance of rewarding and aversive effects of the drug in that individual. Multiple rodent studies have demonstrated that aversive effects of drugs of abuse are reduced in adolescent compared to adult animals. In this study, we addressed 2 key questions: First, do reduced aversive effects of ethanol in younger rats correlate with increased ethanol consumption? Second, are the reduced aversive effects in adolescents attributable to reduced sensitivity to ethanol's physiologic effects? METHODS: Adolescent and adult rats were tested for ethanol conditioned taste aversion (CTA) followed by a voluntary drinking period, including postdeprivation consumption. Multivariate regression was used to assess correlations. In separate experiments, adolescent and adult rats were tested for their sensitivity to the hypothermic and sedative effects of ethanol, and for blood ethanol concentrations (BECs). RESULTS: We observed that in adolescent rats but not adults, taste aversion was inversely correlated with postdeprivation consumption. Adolescents also exhibited a greater increase in consumption after deprivation than adults. Furthermore, the age difference in ethanol CTA was not attributable to differences in hypothermia, sedation, or BECs. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that during adolescence, individuals that are insensitive to aversive effects are most likely to develop problem drinking behaviors. These results underscore the importance of the interaction between developmental stage and individual variation in sensitivity to alcohol.

Duke Scholars

Published In

Alcohol Clin Exp Res

DOI

EISSN

1530-0277

Publication Date

December 2010

Volume

34

Issue

12

Start / End Page

2061 / 2069

Location

England

Related Subject Headings

  • Taste
  • Substance Abuse
  • Sleep
  • Rats, Sprague-Dawley
  • Rats
  • Male
  • Ethanol
  • Drug-Seeking Behavior
  • Conditioning, Classical
  • Body Temperature
 

Citation

APA
Chicago
ICMJE
MLA
NLM
Schramm-Sapyta, N. L., DiFeliceantonio, A. G., Foscue, E., Glowacz, S., Haseeb, N., Wang, N., … Kuhn, C. M. (2010). Aversive effects of ethanol in adolescent versus adult rats: potential causes and implication for future drinking. Alcohol Clin Exp Res, 34(12), 2061–2069. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1530-0277.2010.01302.x
Schramm-Sapyta, Nicole L., Alexandra G. DiFeliceantonio, Ethan Foscue, Susan Glowacz, Naadeyah Haseeb, Nancy Wang, Cathy Zhou, and Cynthia M. Kuhn. “Aversive effects of ethanol in adolescent versus adult rats: potential causes and implication for future drinking.Alcohol Clin Exp Res 34, no. 12 (December 2010): 2061–69. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1530-0277.2010.01302.x.
Schramm-Sapyta NL, DiFeliceantonio AG, Foscue E, Glowacz S, Haseeb N, Wang N, et al. Aversive effects of ethanol in adolescent versus adult rats: potential causes and implication for future drinking. Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 2010 Dec;34(12):2061–9.
Schramm-Sapyta, Nicole L., et al. “Aversive effects of ethanol in adolescent versus adult rats: potential causes and implication for future drinking.Alcohol Clin Exp Res, vol. 34, no. 12, Dec. 2010, pp. 2061–69. Pubmed, doi:10.1111/j.1530-0277.2010.01302.x.
Schramm-Sapyta NL, DiFeliceantonio AG, Foscue E, Glowacz S, Haseeb N, Wang N, Zhou C, Kuhn CM. Aversive effects of ethanol in adolescent versus adult rats: potential causes and implication for future drinking. Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 2010 Dec;34(12):2061–2069.
Journal cover image

Published In

Alcohol Clin Exp Res

DOI

EISSN

1530-0277

Publication Date

December 2010

Volume

34

Issue

12

Start / End Page

2061 / 2069

Location

England

Related Subject Headings

  • Taste
  • Substance Abuse
  • Sleep
  • Rats, Sprague-Dawley
  • Rats
  • Male
  • Ethanol
  • Drug-Seeking Behavior
  • Conditioning, Classical
  • Body Temperature