Fluoxetine reduces saccharin-induced elevation of fluid intake in alcohol-preferring Fawn-Hooded rats.

Previous work has established that saccharin and alcohol intakes are highly correlated in a variety of rat strains. In addition, it has been shown that alcohol-preferring rats consume saccharin beyond the limit of their normal daily fluid intake (DFI). It has been hypothesized that alcohol-preferring rats have impaired control over consumption of reinforcing substances, which may be related to a deficiency of brain serotonin. In the present study, we examined the effect of the serotonin reuptake inhibitor fluoxetine (2.5, 5.0, 10.0 mg/kg, IP, twice a day) on saccharin intake in alcohol-preferring Fawn-Hooded (FH) rats. It was confirmed that alcohol preferring FH rats almost triple their DFI when saccharin/water choice was introduced. Treatment with fluoxetine resulted in a dose-dependent decrease in saccharin intake to, but not below, the normal level of their DFI. No significant effects of fluoxetine on water intake were observed. Despite a significant (up to 69%) decrease in saccharin intake, only a minimal reduction (< 4%) in saccharin preference occurred. We conclude that fluoxetine reduces the exessive elevation of fluid intake observed at the presence of the palatable saccharin solution in Fawn-Hooded rats. These findings may provide more evidence for the involvement of the serotonergic system in the brain in exessive drinking of rewarding substances.

Duke Scholars

Author Amir H. Rezvani Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Behavioral Medicine & Neur ...