EFFECTS OF PARA-CHLOROPHENYLALANINE ON THE VOLUNTARY CONSUMPTION OF ETHANOL, WATER AND SOLID FOOD BY UCHA AND UCHB RATS

The immediate and the long-lasting effects of PCPA (126 mg/kg IP for 3 days) on the voluntary consumption of 10% v/v ethanol solution, water and solid food were studied in genetically low (UChA) and high (UChB) ethanol consumer rats. Data were analysed according to the method proposed by the authors for recognizing specific effects on ethanol consumption. Results confirmed immediate specific decrease of ethanol consumption in UChB rats, while a nonspecific decrease of it was observed in UChA rats. In UChB rats ethanol consumption recovered the basic level about nine days after the first dose. By contradistinction, in UChA rats a significant specific increase of ethanol consumption, starting at the first week after the treatment, was observed. During this period 12 out of 21 UChA rats reached an ethanol consumption level commonly observed in UChB rats, and 10 of them recovered the pretreatment level in 15 to 30 weeks. The other 2 maintained the high consumption until 38 weeks of observation. At that time the serotonin content of cortex and hippocampus of these 2 rats was normal. © 1990.