Preliminary phenotypic characterization of the Warsaw High Preferring (WHP) and Warsaw Low Preferring (WLP) lines of rats selectively bred for high and low ethanol consumption.

The Warsaw High Preferring (WHP) and Warsaw Low Preferring (WLP) lines were bred from Wistar foundation stock to obtain lines of rats that differ in their preference for ethanol (EtOH) solutions. The WHP line has met major criteria for an animal model of alcoholism. The WHP rats voluntarily drink excessive amounts of alcohol while the WLP rats consume negligible amounts of alcohol. These patterns of EtOH consumption are stable in time and independent of the manner of access to EtOH solutions. Notably, when exposed to the increasing EtOH concentrations both WHP and unselected Wistar rats gradually increased total EtOH intake. In contrast, WLP rats when exposed to the increasing concentrations of EtOH consumed almost negligible amounts of EtOH. Furthermore, the WHP rats show an increased responsiveness to the stimulatory effects of low dose of EtOH.