Li T K, Lumeng L, McBride W J, Murphy J M
Ann N Y Acad Sci. 1987;499:239-49. doi: 10.1111/j.1749-6632.1987.tb36215.x.
Depression, eating disorders, and carbohydrate craving are frequently seen in alcoholics or recovering alcoholics. Accordingly, these disorders may share some mediating pathways. It is now well-established that there is a genetic predisposition to alcoholism. Through genetic means, our laboratory has developed an animal model of alcoholism. Free-fed Wistar rats were selectively bred for the traits of alcohol-preference (the P line) and non-preference (the NP line). After more than 20 generations of selection, the lines show a stable difference of more than six-fold in voluntary ethanol consumption. We have now shown that the P line satisfies all the perceived requirements of an animal model of alcoholism. One major discovered difference between the P and the NP line is the lowered content of serotonin in certain brain regions of the P rats. Interestingly, fluoxetine curbs the alcohol-seeking behavior of the P rats; variation in the carbohydrate content of the diet, however, does not modify voluntary ethanol intake. The P rats are similar in body weight to the NP rats, but are more active in a novel environment than the NP rats.
抑郁症、饮食失调和对碳水化合物的渴望在酗酒者或戒酒者中很常见。因此，这些疾病可能有一些共同的中介途径。现在已经充分证实，酗酒存在遗传易感性。通过基因手段，我们实验室开发了一种酗酒动物模型。对自由进食的Wistar大鼠进行选择性培育，以获得酒精偏好（P系）和非偏好（NP系）的性状。经过20多代的选择，这两个品系在自愿乙醇消耗量上表现出超过六倍的稳定差异。我们现在已经表明，P系满足了酗酒动物模型的所有预期要求。P系和NP系之间一个主要的发现差异是P系大鼠某些脑区中血清素含量降低。有趣的是，氟西汀抑制了P系大鼠的觅酒行为；然而，饮食中碳水化合物含量的变化并不会改变自愿乙醇摄入量。P系大鼠的体重与NP系大鼠相似，但在新环境中比NP系大鼠更活跃。
