Biomaterial Database

Differential changes in sucrose/ethanol and sucrose maintained responding by independently altering ethanol or sucrose concentration. 1997

C J Slawecki, and H H Samson, and C W Hodge

Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Bowman Gray School of Medicine, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, North Carolina 27157, USA.

Increased reinforcing efficacy of sucrose/ethanol solutions in comparison to sucrose solutions has been previously demonstrated. However, the contribution of the components of the sucrose/ethanol solution is not well defined. The present study used a multiple schedule of reinforcement to evaluate the differential changes in reinforcer presentations as sucrose or ethanol concentrations were altered. Male Long-Evans rats were trained to press a lever on a multiple fixed ratio 4-fixed ratio 4 schedule which was composed of alternating 2-min components. During one component, 5% sucrose/10% ethanol was presented as the reinforcer and, in the second component, 5% sucrose was presented. Independent manipulations of the ethanol concentration (0, 5, and 20%) in the sucrose/ethanol solution or sucrose concentration (0, 10, and 20%) in the sucrose solution were then performed. Increasing the ethanol concentration in the sucrose/ethanol solution resulted in decreases in reinforcer delivery but increases in ethanol intake (grams per kilogram) and total session caloric intake. Increasing the sucrose concentration in the sucrose solution resulted in significant increases in sucrose reinforcer delivery and total session caloric intake. During the concentration manipulations, the number of reinforcers presented of the unchanged reinforcer was not affected. Differential changes in the pattern of reinforcer presentation after ethanol and sucrose concentration manipulations during successive access periods suggest that sucrose and sucrose/ethanol maintained responding are differentially regulated. Changes in sucrose maintained responding after increases in the sucrose concentration were observed early in the session suggesting a strong influence of taste in regulating intake. Changes in sucrose/ethanol maintained responding after increases in the ethanol concentration occurred later in the session and suggest that postingestive effects (i.e., pharmacology) play a major role in the regulation of sucrose/ethanol intake. In addition, the differential patterns of sucrose/ethanol and sucrose maintained behavior suggest that the ethanol component of the sucrose/ethanol solution plays an important role in maintaining sucrose/ethanol reinforced behavior.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008297	Male		Males
D009042	Motivation	Those factors which cause an organism to behave or act in either a goal-seeking or satisfying manner. They may be influenced by physiological drives or by external stimuli.	Incentives,Disincentives,Expectations,Disincentive,Expectation,Incentive,Motivations
D012055	Reinforcement Schedule	A schedule prescribing when the subject is to be reinforced or rewarded in terms of temporal interval in psychological experiments. The schedule may be continuous or intermittent.	Reinforcement Schedules,Schedule, Reinforcement,Schedules, Reinforcement
D002755	Choice Behavior	The act of making a selection among two or more alternatives, usually after a period of deliberation.	Approach Behavior,Approach Behaviors,Behavior, Approach,Behavior, Choice,Behaviors, Approach,Behaviors, Choice,Choice Behaviors
D004305	Dose-Response Relationship, Drug	The relationship between the dose of an administered drug and the response of the organism to the drug.	Dose Response Relationship, Drug,Dose-Response Relationships, Drug,Drug Dose-Response Relationship,Drug Dose-Response Relationships,Relationship, Drug Dose-Response,Relationships, Drug Dose-Response
D000428	Alcohol Drinking	Behaviors associated with the ingesting of ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES, including social drinking.	Alcohol Consumption,Alcohol Intake,Drinking, Alcohol,Alcohol Drinking Habits,Alcohol Drinking Habit,Alcohol Intakes,Consumption, Alcohol,Drinking Habit, Alcohol,Habit, Alcohol Drinking,Habits, Alcohol Drinking,Intake, Alcohol
D000818	Animals	Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA.	Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D001070	Appetitive Behavior	Animal searching behavior. The variable introductory phase of an instinctive behavior pattern or sequence, e.g., looking for food, or sequential courtship patterns prior to mating.	Searching Behavior,Appetitive Behaviors,Behavior, Appetitive,Behavior, Searching,Behaviors, Appetitive,Behaviors, Searching,Searching Behaviors
D012646	Self Administration	Administration of a drug or chemical by the individual under the direction of a physician. It includes administration clinically or experimentally, by human or animal.	Administration, Self,Administrations, Self,Self Administrations
D013649	Taste	The ability to detect chemicals through gustatory receptors in the mouth, including those on the TONGUE; the PALATE; the PHARYNX; and the EPIGLOTTIS.	Gustation,Taste Sense,Gustations,Sense, Taste,Senses, Taste,Taste Senses,Tastes