Colombo G, Agabio R, Lobina C, Reali R, Zocchi A, Fadda F, Gessa G L
Bernard B. Brodie Department of Neuroscience, University of Cagliari, Italy.
Physiol Behav. 1995 Jun;57(6):1181-5. doi: 10.1016/0031-9384(94)00382-f.
The present study was designed to assess the anxiety profile of the selectively bred alcohol-preferring sP and alcohol-nonpreferring sNP rats. Rats were offered either water (ethanol-naive rats) or a free choice of 10% (v/v) ethanol and water (ethanol-experienced rats) for 14 consecutive days prior to the test. Spontaneous exploration of an elevated plus maze was used as a behavioral measure of anxiety. Ethanol-naive sP rats spent less time in and made fewer entries into the open arms of the maze than ethanol-naive sNP rats. These results suggest a higher innate degree of anxiety in sP than in sNP rats. Moreover, time spent in and number of entries into the open arms of the maze were higher in ethanol-experienced than in ethanol-naive sP rats. This finding suggests that ethanol consumed voluntarily produces anxiolytic effects in sP rats. The results of the present study are discussed in terms of (a) anxiety as a genetic trait related to ethanol-preference in sP rats and (b) self-medication of anxiety as a possible factor promoting voluntary ethanol consumption in sP rats.
本研究旨在评估选择性培育的嗜酒sP大鼠和不嗜酒sNP大鼠的焦虑状况。在测试前，连续14天给大鼠提供水（未接触过乙醇的大鼠）或自由选择10%（v/v）乙醇和水（接触过乙醇的大鼠）。采用高架十字迷宫中的自发探索行为作为焦虑的行为指标。未接触过乙醇的sP大鼠在迷宫开放臂中停留的时间比未接触过乙醇的sNP大鼠少，进入开放臂的次数也更少。这些结果表明，sP大鼠的先天性焦虑程度高于sNP大鼠。此外，接触过乙醇的sP大鼠在迷宫开放臂中停留的时间和进入开放臂的次数比未接触过乙醇的sP大鼠多。这一发现表明，自愿摄入乙醇对sP大鼠具有抗焦虑作用。本研究结果从以下两方面进行了讨论：（a）焦虑作为与sP大鼠乙醇偏好相关的遗传特征；（b）焦虑的自我治疗作为促进sP大鼠自愿摄入乙醇的一个可能因素。
