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The Journal of Neuroscience, December 15, 1998, 18(24):10663-10671
Suppression of Ethanol-Reinforced Behavior by Naltrexone Is
Associated with Attenuation of the Ethanol-Induced Increase in
Dialysate Dopamine Levels in the Nucleus Accumbens
Rueben A.
Gonzales1 and
Friedbert
Weiss2
1 Institute for Neuroscience, University of Texas at
Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, and 2 Department of
Neuropharmacology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California
92037
The opiate antagonist naltrexone suppresses ethanol-reinforced
behavior in animals and decreases ethanol intake in humans. However,
the mechanisms underlying these actions are not well understood.
Experiments were designed to test the hypothesis that naltrexone
attenuates the rewarding properties of ethanol by interfering with
ethanol-induced stimulation of dopamine activity in the nucleus accumbens (NAcc). Simultaneous measures of the effects of naltrexone on
dialysate dopamine levels in the NAcc and on operant responding for
oral ethanol were used. Male Wistar rats were trained to
self-administer ethanol (10-15%, w/v) in 0.2% (w/v) saccharin during
daily 30 min sessions and were surgically prepared for intracranial
microdialysis. Experiments began after reliable self-administration was
established. Rats were injected with naltrexone (0.25 mg/kg, s.c.) or
saline and 10 min later were placed inside the operant chamber for a 20 min waiting period with no ethanol available, followed by 30 min of
access to ethanol. A transient rise in dialysate dopamine levels was
observed during the waiting period, and this effect was not altered by
naltrexone. Ethanol self-administration reliably increased dopamine
levels in controls. Naltrexone significantly suppressed ethanol
self-administration and prevented ethanol-induced increases in
dialysate dopamine levels. Subsequent dose-effect analyses established
that the latter effect was not merely a function of reduced ethanol
intake but that naltrexone attenuated the efficacy of ethanol to
elevate dialysate dopamine levels. These results suggest that
suppression of ethanol self-administration by opiate antagonists is the
result of interference with dopamine-dependent aspects of ethanol
reinforcement, although possible additional effects via nondopaminergic
mechanisms cannot be eliminated as a factor in opiate
antagonist-induced reduction of ethanol intake.
Key words:
ethanol; naltrexone; reinforcement; dopamine; microdialysis; nucleus accumbens
Copyright © 1998 Society for Neuroscience 0270-6474/98/182410663-09$05.00/0
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