Efficacy of ethanol as a discriminative stimulus in ethanol-preferring and ethanol-nonpreferring rats

Rats which exhibited a preference for drinking a 6% w/v solution of ethanol in a free choice situation did not differ in their sensitivity to ethanol from animals exhibiting an aversion for ethanol, as measured by leaning rates in a T-maze task in which ethanol served as a discriminative stimulus.     

Visual stimulus localization as a function of brightness

Résumé Dans une tâche consistant à localiser un point sur une barre horizontale ou verticale, on mesure l'information transmise en fonction de l'éclairement et de l'information du stimulus. On trouve une relation linéaire directe entre l'information transmise et le logarithme de l'éclairement. Cette relation reste valable pour diverses quantités d'information émise.

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Partly supported by the Fonds National belge de la Recherche Scientifique.     

Hypoxia as a negative reinforcing stimulus in the squirrel monkey

Summary Squirrel monkeys learned to avoid hypoxia by pressing a bar. Each bar-press replaced the noxious gas mixture with normal air for 3 sec. The data further indicated that O₂ itself has no positive reinforcing effect.     

Open-field behavior and acquisition of discriminative response control in Δ9-THC tolerant rats

Résumé La tolérance de l'effet du 1- ⁹-tétrahydrocannabinol ( ⁹-THC) a été examinée par une méthode nouvelle. Les résultats obtenus permettent une interprétation de tolérance pharmacologique pour ⁹-THC.

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Numbering system according to IUPAC rules. The drug was generously supplied by Dr.T. Petrzilka, University of Zürich.     

Covalent immobilization as a stimulus of cell wall composition changes

Covalent immobilization of yeast cells by an activated diamine spacer is accompanied by increased levels of cell wall proteins, lipids, amino sugars, amino acids and acid phosphatase leakage, and by altered composition of mannoproteins. The observed changes in cell wall composition are attributed to the effect of cell-solid surface contact.     

Arousal threshold in the cat as a function of sleep phase and stimulus significance

Résumé Chez le Chat éveillé après conditionnement au moyen de clicks et de lait, les clicks déclenchent le réveil de manière plus efficace qu'en l'absence de conditionnement. Le seuil d'éveil s'est avéré plus bas lors d'un sommeil accompagné d'ondes lentes de haut voltage que pendant le sommeil paradoxal.

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Supported by NSF Grant No. GB 1965.     

Hypolipidemic effects of garlic oil in rats fed ethanol and a high lipid diet

Summary Feeding of ethanol and a high fat-high cholesterol diet to rats markedly increased the total lipids in the liver, and cholesterol and triglyceride levels in the serum, liver and kidneys. However, when ethanol mixed with 0.5% garlic oil was fed to animals maintained on the high fat-high cholesterol diet, these lipid levels were significantly reduced to levels near to those seen in untreated control rats. Garlic oil did not reduce the serum albumin or the total proteins of liver, kidneys or serum when fed along with ethanol. Probably the garlic oil enhances the catabolism of dietary cholesterol and fatty acids.The authors acknowledge with thanks the financial assistance of the University of Maiduguri for carrying out this project.     

Whole brain methionine-enkephalin of ethanol-avoiding and ethanol-preferring C57BL mice

Summary These experiments systematically investigated ethanol preference in both the C57Bl/6N and C57Bl/6J mice utilizing three-choice 2-bottle preference test. In addition, these sublines were evaluated for whole brain methionineenkephalin levels, which were significantly lower in C57Bl/6J mice (alcohol preferring) compared to C57Bl/6N mice (alcohol non-preferring). This finding supports the involvement of the peptidyl opiates in ethanol seeking behavior.     

Whole brain methionine-enkephalin of ethanol-avoiding and ethanol-preferring c57BL mice

These experiments systematically investigated ethanol preference in both the C57Bl/6N and C57Bl/6J mice utilizing three-choice 2-bottle preference test. In addition, these sublines were evaluated for whole brain methionine-enkephalin levels, which were significantly lower in C57Bl/6J mice (alcohol preferring) compared to C57Bl/6N mice (alcohol non-preferring). This finding supports the involvement of the peptidyl opiates in ethanol seeking behavior.     

Enhanced ethanol consumption following portal-systemic shunting in rats

Summary Following surgical construction of a chronic end-to-side portacaval shunt, rats consumed more 6% ethanol than their controls in a schedule-induced polydipsia paradigm during the baseline condition and during intermittent food delivery. Blood enthanol was higher in rats with portacaval shunts than in controls following the final test session.     

Aflatoxin B1 hepatotoxicity in rats pretreated with ethanol

Summary Ethanol pretreatment has the potentiation of the aflatoxin B₁-induced hepatotoxicity was indicated by an increase in the activities of plasma GPT, plasma GOT and in the severity of liver necrosis. The effect of ethanol pretreatment on an increase in the accumulation of liver triglycerides is additive in nature.     

Synaptic development in brains of rats exposed perinatally to ethanol

Summary Development of brain synaptosomal uptakes of³H-norepinephrine and³H-dopamine in pups whose mothers received ethanol were nearly normal. However, development of synaptosomal uptake of³H-serotonin was significantly lower than in controls, while uptake of³H-norepinephrine into synaptic storage vesicles was increased.The authors thank F.J. Seidler and W.L. Whitmore for their technical assistance. Research was supported by U.S. Public Health Service grants AA-02935 and DA-00465. TAS is recipient of Research Scientist Development Award DA-00006 from the National Institute on Drug Abuse, and SMS is recipient of Research Scientist Award MH-06489 from the National Institute of Mental Health.     

Changes in intestinal absorption of glucose in rats treated with ethanol

Riassunto Gli Autori hanno indagato se l'intossicazione subacuta da etanolo provoca nel ratto alterazioni dell'assorbimento intestinale del glucosio. L'assorbimento intestinale del glucosio è diminuito in maniera statisticamente significativa nei ratti trattati per 2 e 7 giorni ed è risultato quasi normale in quelli trattati per 20 giorni con etanolo.     

Effect of sucrose on lipogenesis of rats chronically treated with ethanol

The effect of chronic ethanol administration with and without sucrose on the lipogenic enzymes of liver and adipose tissue of rats was studied. Ethanol markedly influenced the adipose lipogenic enzymes at 28 days. Sucrose caused a 2-10fold increase in lipogenic enzymes of both adipose and liver.