The effects of ethanol on exploration in DBA/2 and C57Bl/6 mice.

The effect of ethanol (0.8, 1.6, and 2.4 g/kg) was assessed on the behavior of DBA/2 and C57Bl/6 mice in a holeboard test. Ethanol caused a dose-related decrease in the locomotor activity of the C57Bl/6 mice, and the highest dose also significantly decreased exploratory head-dipping. In contrast ethanol significantly increased the locomotor activity of DBA/2 mice. Only the lowest dose, however, significantly increased exploratory head-dipping, and the highest dose caused a marked decrease in exploration. These results emphasize the importance of distinguishing between the effects of ethanol on locomotor and exploratory activities.