Research article - Peer-reviewed, 2022
Behavioral profiles of adolescent alcohol-preferring/non-preferring (P/NP) and high/low alcohol-drinking (HAD/LAD) rats are dependent on line but not sex
Lundberg, Stina; Roman, Erika; Bell, Richard L.Abstract
Initial contact with alcohol generally occurs during adolescence, and high consumption during this period is associated with increased risk for later alcohol (AUDs) and/or substance use disorders (SUDs). Rodents selectively bred for high or low alcohol consumption are used to identify behavioral characteristics associated with a propensity for high or low voluntary alcohol intake. The multivariate concentric square field (TM) (MCSF) is a behavioral test developed to study rodents in a semi-naturalistic setting. Testing in the MCSF creates a comprehensive behavioral profile in a single trial. The current aim was to examine the behavioral profiles of adolescent, bidirectionally selectively bred male and female high alcohol-consuming (P and HAD1/2) and low alcohol-consuming (NP and LAD1/2) rat lines, and outbred Wistar rats. Alcohol-naive rats were tested once in the MCSF at an age between postnatal days 30 and 35. No common behavioral profile was found for either high or low alcohol-consuming rat lines, and the effect of sex was small. The P/NP and HAD2/LAD2 lines showed within pair-dependent differences, while the HAD1/LAD1 lines were highly similar. The P rats displayed high activity and risk-associated behaviors, whereas HAD2 rats displayed low activity, high shelter-seeking behavior, and open area avoidance. The results from P rats parallel clinical findings that denser family history and risk-taking behavior are strong predictors of future AUDs, often with early onset. Contrarily, the HAD2 behavioral profile was similar to individuals experiencing negative emotionality, which also is associated with a vulnerability to develop, often with a later onset, AUDs and/or SUDs.Keywords
adolescence; alcohol non-preferring rats; alcohol-preferring rats; high alcohol-drinking rats; low alcohol-drinking rats; multivariate concentric square field (MCSF)Published in
Frontiers in Neuroscience2022, volume: 15, article number: 811401
Authors' information
Lundberg, Stina
Uppsala University
Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Biochemistry (AFB)
Uppsala University
Bell, Richard L.
Indiana University Bloomington
Sustainable Development Goals
SDG3 Good health and well-being
UKÄ Subject classification
Neurosciences
Publication Identifiers
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fnins.2021.811401
URI (permanent link to this page)
https://res.slu.se/id/publ/115513