[Abstract Title]. - Society for Neuroscience

257. Alcohol Intake and Preference
Time: Sunday, November 16, 2008, 1:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Program#/Poster#: 257.12/Z29
Topic: C.16.a. Alcohol
Support: NIAAA (AA015434)
Integrative Neuroscience Initiative on Alcoholism - West
Title: Synthetic cannabinoid antagonist SR141716A decreases binge-like alcohol intake in
C57BL/6J mice
Authors: *D. N. LINSENBARDT, C. WALSH, E. MOORE, S. BOEHM, II;
Dept Psychol, Univ. Binghamton, Binghamton, NY
Abstract: Research in rodents has suggested a role for the CB1 receptor system in modulating
voluntary ethanol intake and preference. Whereas, cannabinoid agonists increase ethanol
consummatory behaviors such as ethanol-maintained responding (Gallate et al., 1999), and 2
bottle choice preference (Colombo et al., 2002), the cannabinoid antagonist SR141716A
effectively blocks these effects. Interestingly, SR141716A has also been shown to decrease
ethanol consummatory behaviors in various strains of mice (Arnone et al., 1997; Hungund et al.,
2002) and rats (Colombo et al., 1998; Freedland et al., 2001). Along these lines, previous
research from our lab has shown that the cannabinoid agonist WIN 55-212,2 is capable of
increasing binge-like intake using a modified version of the „Drinking In the Dark‟ (DID) model.
The goal of the present work was to further examine the extent to which the endocannabinoid
system is involved in binge-like alcohol intake through antagonism of the CB1 receptor system
using SR141716A. C57BL/6J mice were allowed six days of once a day access to DID. On day
7, mice were injected with one of three concentrations of SR141716A or vehicle and binge-like
alcohol intake and corresponding blood alcohol concentrations were recorded. SR141716A dosedependently
decreased alcohol consumption compared to vehicle injected controls. These
findings provide further support for the growing literature implicating the endogenous
cannabinoid system in ethanol preference and intake and suggest that this system may mediate
binge-like consumption.
Disclosures: D.N. Linsenbardt , None; C. Walsh, None; E. Moore, None; S. Boehm, None.
Poster
257. Alcohol Intake and Preference