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Voluntary alcohol intake in two rat lines selectively bred for learned helpless and non-helpless behavior

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Abstract

Rationale

A high comorbidity between depression and alcoholism has been reported in several studies, but the mechanisms underlying this relationship remain unknown.

Objectives

We tested whether learned helplessness in rats as a model for depression is associated with enhanced alcohol intake and relapse behavior.

Methods

Congenital learned helplessness (cLH) and congenital non-learned helplessness (cNLH) rats were selectively bred for differences in an escape paradigm. Sucrose preference was tested at the first hour of the dark phase. In order to study an association with alcohol drinking behavior, rats underwent a free-choice procedure with access to water, and 5% and 20% alcohol solutions for 6 weeks. After acquisition of alcohol drinking behavior, the alcohol deprivation effect (ADE) was assessed. Sensitivity to the sedative-hypnotic effect of alcohol was measured by loss of the righting reflex.

Results

cLH rats showed significantly lower preference for sucrose solutions during the second half hour of the dark phase than cNLH rats. Alcohol intake of male cLH rats was not significantly different from that of male cNLH rats. In contrast, cLH female rats consumed higher amounts of alcohol than female cNLH rats. The ADE was more pronounced in female animals, although the magnitude of the ADE was similar in both cNLH and cLH female rats. The time to regain the righting reflex was significantly higher in both male and female cLH rats than in cNLH rats.

Conclusions

In summary, these data suggest that an inborn depressive-like behavior in female rats is associated with enhanced alcohol intake.

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Acknowledgements

Supported in part by the BMBF FKZ EB 01011300/6 to R.S. and by the DFG VO 621/3-1 to B.V.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychopharmacology, Central Institute of Mental Health (CIMH), University of Heidelberg, J5, 68159, Mannheim, Germany

    Valentina Vengeliene & Rainer Spanagel

  2. Department of Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health (CIMH), University of Heidelberg, J5, 68159, Mannheim, Germany

    Barbara Vollmayr & Fritz A. Henn

Authors
  1. Valentina Vengeliene
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  2. Barbara Vollmayr
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  3. Fritz A. Henn
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  4. Rainer Spanagel
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Correspondence to Rainer Spanagel.

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Vengeliene, V., Vollmayr, B., Henn, F.A. et al. Voluntary alcohol intake in two rat lines selectively bred for learned helpless and non-helpless behavior. Psychopharmacology 178, 125–132 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-004-2013-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-004-2013-5

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