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The impact of moderate daily alcohol consumption on aggression and the formation of dominance hierarchies in rats

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Abstract

Rationale and objective

Group-housed male rats form social hierarchies, and under these conditions, it has been reported that subordinate (SUB) rats consume more alcohol than dominant (DOM) rats. We tested the hypothesis that a history of drinking alcohol would cause SUB rats to consume even greater amounts of alcohol.

Methods

Male Long–Evans rats were trained to drink 10% alcohol or a sucrose/quinine solution equal in calories for 1 h/day using a sucrose-fading procedure. Subsequently, rats were housed in colonies (four males, two females) in a visible burrow system (VBS) for 14 days. Individual control male rats were housed in a tub cage with one female. Rats were removed from the VBS (or control environment) daily and given 1 h to drink alcohol or sucrose/quinine.

Results

Colonies given daily access to sucrose/quinine formed clear DOM/SUB relationships in all measured parameters. Alcohol-drinking colonies failed to establish a dominance hierarchy and displayed little aggression, with an average of 14.6 ± 6.1 offensive attacks compared with 58.5 ± 12.3 attacks carried out by DOM sucrose/quinine rats. During VBS housing, alcohol and sucrose/quinine intake decreased independent of housing environment or social status.

Conclusions

Contrary to prior reports of the effect of alcohol on aggressive behavior, moderate daily alcohol intake before and during VBS housing reduced aggression and precluded the formation of a dominance hierarchy in rats.

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Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful to Dennis Choi, Dr. Li Yun Ma, and Therese Rider for expert technical assistance. In addition, the authors would like to thank Drs. Ron Jandacek and Patrick Tso for the use of their gas chromatography machine. This research was supported by NIH grant DK 66596, DK 17844, and by NIH training grant T32 DK59803.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Program in Neuroscience, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA

    Elizabeth A. Duncan, Kellie L. K. Tamashiro & Mary M. N. Nguyen

  2. Department of Psychiatry, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA

    Stacy R. Gardner, Stephen C. Woods & Randall R. Sakai

  3. National Institute of Drug Abuse, Room 434, Building C, 5500 Nathan Shock Dr., Baltimore, MD, 21236, USA

    Elizabeth A. Duncan

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  1. Elizabeth A. Duncan
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  2. Kellie L. K. Tamashiro
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  3. Mary M. N. Nguyen
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  6. Randall R. Sakai
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Correspondence to Elizabeth A. Duncan.

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Duncan, E.A., Tamashiro, K.L.K., Nguyen, M.M.N. et al. The impact of moderate daily alcohol consumption on aggression and the formation of dominance hierarchies in rats. Psychopharmacology 189, 83–94 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-006-0536-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-006-0536-7

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