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College student heavy drinking in social contexts versus alone.

Heavy drinking is common among college students and typically occurs in social contexts. Heavy drinking when alone, however, is less common. The present study hypothesized that students who drink heavily when alone (HD-Alone) would differ from college students who only drink heavily in social contexts (Social HD). Forty-nine HD-Alone students (at least one heavy-drinking episode when alone), 213 Social HDs, and 63 non-heavy drinkers (Non-HDs) were compared on alcohol-related consequences, drinking milestones, alcohol-outcome expectancies, and symptoms of depression. HD-Alone students reported more negative drinking consequences, earlier onset of regular drinking, more alcohol expectancies, less self-efficacy and motivation to reduce drinking, and higher depression scores than Social HDs and Non-HDs. Findings imply individual differences among heavy-drinking college students according to their drinking context.

Adult↗

Sex-role traits and the comorbidity of symptoms of disordered eating and problem drinking.

The symptoms of problem drinking and disordered eating were studied independently in relation to sex-role traits and also for evidence of comorbidity in a student sample of 217 women. The participants completed surveys that assessed positive and negative sex-role traits, reported drinking levels, alcohol dependence, problem drinking, bulimic symptoms, dietary restraint, and drive for thinness. Eating symptoms were related to both the negative and positive traits of Femininity, but self-descriptions involving negative traits (passivity, dependence, unassertiveness, etc.) showed the strongest relationship. High scores on identification with the traits typically labelled as Masculinity were related to drinking but there was an important difference between drinking per se (which was related to Positive Masculinity) and drinking found to be associated with drinking problems, which was related to Negative Masculinity (aggression, showing-off, rudeness, etc.). Feminine traits were also related to drinking. Low identification with the traits of Negative Femininity was associated with non-problem drinking, whereas low identification with the traits of Positive Femininity were associated with problem-related drinking. Young women who displayed comorbid symptoms described themselves by a high identification with the traits of both Negative Masculinity and Negative Femininity. It was argued that comorbidity reveals a more extreme form of the sex-role conflict previously described in relation to disordered control over both eating and drinking when considered independently.

Journal Article↗

Types of drinks consumed by infants at 4 and 8 months of age: a descriptive study. The ALSPAC Study Team.

OBJECTIVE: To document the type and volume of drinks given to infants and investigate whether giving supplementary drinks leads to reduced milk consumption. DESIGN: Carers were asked to record all drinks consumed by the infants in a 24-hour period at two ages, detailing the types and volume taken. SETTING: The Avon Longitudinal Study of Pregnancy and Childhood (ALSPAC). SUBJECTS: A randomly chosen population sample of over 1000 infants at 4 and 8 months of age. RESULTS: The different types of milk feed were used to group infants, compare volumes consumed and look at the use of non-milk drinks. The average volume of drinks consumed over 24 hours at 4 months was 861 ml and at 8 months was 662 ml. At 4 months 69.7% consumed infant formula and 43.0% breast milk. The mean volume of milk consumed by those having only formula was 802 ml and for those having only breast milk was estimated at 850 ml. The volumes of milks consumed were slightly lower in the groups who also had supplementary drinks. A quarter of infants were given fruit drinks and 14.6% herbal drinks. Supplementary drinks and solids were more likely to be given to formula-fed than breast-fed infants. At 8 months, formula milk was consumed by 71.4% and breast milk use had decreased (22.9%) but fruit drink use had increased (squash/cordial: 55.8%, fruit juice: 14.9%), with 13.9% of infants having no infant milk at all. More infants were fed formula milk and less were fed cows' milk compared with a nationally representative British study conducted 5 years earlier. CONCLUSIONS: Many infants were given supplementary drinks by 4 months; there is some evidence that this led to a small reduction in milk intake. A minority were not being given infant milks at all by 8 months, contrary to British infant feeding recommendations.

Animals↗

College students define binge drinking and estimate its prevalence: results of a national survey.

Data from the 1999 College Alcohol Study were used to examine how students define the term binge drinking, to determine how much binge drinking the students think exists on their campuses, and to analyze how students' estimates compare with aggregated self-reports of student drinking. The findings indicate that the median of the students' definitions of binge drinking is 6 drinks in a row for men and 5 for women, 1 drink higher than the definition used by researchers. Students' definitions of binge drinking vary with their own drinking levels, suggesting that dissenting views of the research definition may represent voices of the heaviest drinkers. At the median, students estimated that 35% of all students were binge drinkers. Half (47%) of the students underestimated the binge drinking rate at their school, 29% overestimated it, and 13% were accurate. Although programs designed to reduce the frequency or prevalence of binge drinking by emphasizing healthier norms would be most useful in addressing binge drinkers who overestimate drinking norms, this group includes only 13% of college students.

Adult↗

Drinking and smoking patterns amongst women attending an antenatal clinic--I. Before pregnancy.

This paper provides basic epidemiological data on smoking and drinking patterns before pregnancy amongst 1117 pregnant women attending a London antenatal clinic. Similar data are already available from North America and surveys have been done in Scotland but there is a dearth of information from England and Wales. In the early stages of pregnancy, prior to recognition, heavy alcohol consumption (in excess of 56 units of alcohol per week) is associated with the Foetal Alcohol Syndrome. More moderate levels of intake (as little as 10 units of alcohol per week) have been associated with Foetal Alcohol Effects such as growth retardation. In our sample 19% of the mothers were drinking more than 10 units of alcohol per week. Six per cent were consuming more than the 14 units of alcohol currently recommended by three of the medical Royal Colleges as 'safe' for non-pregnant women. Average weekly alcohol consumption was related to both the usual frequency and amount drunk, but also to binge drinking, beverage choice and combination, and reasons for drinking. In general, drinking was frequent and light. Those women who drank more per week tended to drink more frequently than those in the lower weekly consumption bands. Fourteen per cent of the sample admitted to binge drinking (more than 14 units of alcohol in a single sitting). Wine was the most popular beverage type. The range of beverages consumed was wider in the higher alcohol consumption bands. Those in the lower bands were more likely to drink only one beverage type. Social reasons for drinking were of far greater importance than reasons which emphasised the effects of drinking. However, heavy drinkers were unlikely to drink solely for social reasons. Seventy-seven per cent of the mothers were non-smokers, but the incidence of smoking increased in the higher alcohol consumption bands. The demographic characteristics of the smokers were in marked contrast to those of the heavier drinkers. Smokers tended to be younger, of lower social status and multiparous, whereas the heavier drinkers were more likely to be older, of higher social status and primiparous. This finding is of fundamental importance to those interested in planning screening or intervention programmes.

Adult↗

Does an energy drink modify the effects of alcohol in a maximal effort test?

BACKGROUND: There are popular reports on the combined use of alcohol and energy drinks (such as Red Bull and similar beverages, which contain caffeine, taurine, carbohydrates, etc.) to reduce the depressant effects of alcohol on central nervous system, but no controlled studies have been performed. The main purpose of this study was to verify the effects of alcohol, and alcohol combined with energy drink, on the performance of volunteers in a maximal effort test (cycle ergometer) and also on physiological indicators (oxygen uptake, ventilatory threshold, respiratory exchange rate, heart rate, and blood pressure), biochemical variables (glucose, lactate, insulin, cortisol, ACTH, dopamine, noradrenaline, and adrenaline), and blood alcohol levels. METHODS: Fourteen healthy subjects completed a double-blind protocol made up of four sessions: control (water), alcohol (1.0 g/kg), energy drink (3.57 ml/kg Red Bull), and alcohol + energy drink, each 1 week apart. The effort test began 60 min after drug or control ingestion, and the dependent variables were measured until 60 min after the test. RESULTS: Heart rate at the ventilatory threshold was higher in the alcohol and alcohol + energy drink sessions in comparison with control and energy drink sessions. Although in comparison to the control session, the peak oxygen uptake was 5.0% smaller after alcohol ingestion, 1.4% smaller after energy drink, and 2.7% smaller after the combined ingestion, no significant differences were detected. Lactate levels (30 min after drug ingestion, 30 and 60 min after the effort test) and noradrenaline levels (30 min after the effort test) were higher in the alcohol and alcohol + energy drink sessions compared with the control session. CONCLUSIONS: The performance in the maximal effort test observed after alcohol + energy drink ingestion was similar to that observed after alcohol only. No significant differences between alcohol and alcohol + energy drink were detected in the physiological and biochemical parameters analyzed. Our findings suggest that energy drinks, at least in the tested doses, did not improve performance or reduce alterations induced by acute alcohol ingestion.

Adult↗

Determining the optimal concentration of fluoride in drinking water in Pakistan.

OBJECTIVES: This study was designed to determine the optimal concentrations of fluoride for drinking water in Pakistan. Clinical dental examination of 1020 school children aged 12 years was carried out in 19 cities of Pakistan. Correlation between concentrations of water fluoride, caries and fluorosis was investigated by analyzing the data on fluoride concentrations in drinking water in the sampled population for which the caries and the fluorosis levels were also measured. METHODS: The optimal level of fluoride in drinking water is universally calculated by applying the equation of Galagan and Vermillion, which permits the calculation of water intake as a function of temperature. The annual mean maximum temperatures (AMMT) recorded during the last 5 years were collected from the meteorological centres of the 28 divisional headquarter stations. The average AMMT of Pakistan is 29 degrees C at which the optimal fluoride in drinking water of Pakistan was calculated to be 0.7 ppm. As drinking habits differ in various parts of the world, determination of optimal concentration of fluoride for drinking water in Pakistan was performed using a modified Galagan and Vermillion equation, which applies a correction factor of 0.56 to the equation. The optimal fluoride in drinking water in Pakistan using this modified equation was determined to be 0.39 ppm. RESULTS: Observation of the correlation showed that a fluoride concentration of 0.35 ppm in drinking water was associated with maximum reduction in dental caries and a 10% prevalence of fluorosis. CONCLUSIONS: Determining the most appropriate concentrations of fluoride in drinking water is crucial for communities. It is imperative that each country calculates its own optimal level of fluoride in drinking water based on the dose-response relationship of fluoride in drinking water with the levels of caries and fluorosis. Climatic conditions, dietary habits of the population and other possible fluoride exposures need to be considered in formulating these recommendations.

Cariostatic Agents↗

Corticosterone in drinking water: altered kinetics of a single oral dose of corticosterone and concentrations of plasma sodium, albumin, globulin, and total protein.

Effects of chronic exposure to corticosterone in drinking water on corticosterone kinetics, blood chemistry, and concentrations of catecholamines in parts of brain were studied in Long-Evans rats. Rats were randomly grouped into 3 x 2 treatments (n=4), with three treatments of drinking water (tap water, or 2.5% ethanol, or 400 microg/mL of corticosterone in 2.5% ethanol) for 28 days and two treatments of gavage with a single dose of either corn oil or corticosterone 20 mg/kg on day 28. Blood samples were collected at 0, 15, 30, 60, 120, 240, 480, and 720 min after dosing to determine plasma corticosterone concentrations. Blood samples were collected for clinical pathology on day 42. Hippocampus, cerebral cortex, caudate-putamen, and pons were examined to determine concentrations of catecholamines and activities of esterases. Concentrations of plasma corticosterone before gavage of the corticosterone-drinking rats (47.61 +/- 1.13 ng/mL) were lower than the water (418.47 +/- 1.13 ng/mL) or the ethanol rats (383.71 +/- 1.13 ng/mL, P < 0.0001). Plasma corticosterone rose to peak concentrations by 15 min after gavage in all three groups of drinking rats. Corticosterone-drinking rats had concentrations of plasma corticosterone that returned to basal levels slower than water- and ethanol-drinking rats. Plasma sodium and chloride concentrations were lower in the corticosterone-drinking rats than the water-drinking rats (P < 0.01). Plasma albumin, globulin, and total protein were highest in the corticosterone-drinking rats when compared to the other groups of drinking rats (P < 0.001, P < 0.05, and P < 0.001, respectively). Corticosterone in drinking water did not affect activities of brain neurotoxic esterase, carboxylesterase, acetylcholinesterase, or concentrations of monoamines and their metabolites. A single oral dose of corticosterone reduced neurotoxic esterase activity in the cerebral cortex (P < 0.05) and increased norepinephrine concentrations in the hippocampus (P < 0.05).

Acetylcholinesterase↗

Intestinal Na+ and Cl- levels control drinking behavior in the seawater-adapted eel Anguilla japonica

To analyze drinking mechanisms in seawater teleosts, seawater-adapted eels were used as a model system. When the intestine of the eel was perfused with iso-osmotic mannitol, the eels drank sea water. However, when the perfusion medium was switched to iso-osmotic NaCl, seawater drinking was depressed. This depression was observed even after blocking NaCl absorption across the intestine by replacement of the perfusate with choline chloride or by treatment with furosemide, an inhibitor of NaCl and water absorption across the eel intestine. Furthermore, depression of drinking rate preceded an increase in urine flow by over 1 h. These results indicate that this depression is not due to a recovery of blood volume and suggest that intestinal Cl- itself inhibits drinking. Direct action of luminal Cl- on drinking behavior was further supported by the observation that perfusion with iso-osmotic NMDG-HCl, Tris-HCl, choline chloride and RbCl all inhibited seawater drinking. When NaCl in the perfusion medium was replaced with sodium acetate, sodium butyrate, sodium methylsulfate or NaSCN, the drinking rate was enhanced threefold, suggesting that Na+ itself stimulates drinking in the absence of Cl-. In the present study, concentrations of Na+ and Cl- in the swallowed fluid were also measured simultaneously. As the drinking rate was enhanced, the Na+ and Cl- concentrations in the gastrointestinal fluid were increased. On the basis of these results, it seems possible that high concentrations of Cl- in the intestine reduce the drinking rate, thus lowering esophageal Cl- concentration due to desalination of the ingested sea water. When Cl- concentration in the intestine falls below a certain level, Na+ will stimulate seawater drinking again.

Journal Article↗

Generalized expectancies for negative mood regulation and problem drinking among college students.

OBJECTIVE: Motivational models of alcohol use often invoke constructs derived from social-learning theory, including coping styles, drinking motives and affective distress. To date, no study has assessed the potential role of negative mood regulation (NMR) expectancies (the extent to which one holds positive expectations of one's ability to cope with negative affect) in promoting problematic drinking behavior. This study evaluated the relationship between NMR expectancies and problem-related drinking while controlling for the influence of alcohol consumption, coping behaviors, drinking motives, demographic variables and affective distress. METHOD: Participants (N = 136, 80% female) were college undergraduates who completed a battery of self-report questionnaires on two occasions that were separated by 8 weeks. RESULTS: Initial correlational analyses indicated a strong (negative) association between NMR expectancies and problem drinking behavior. Findings from separate hierarchical regression analyses demonstrated that NMR expectancies add significantly to the variance in predicting problem drinking, even when accounting for age and gender, alcohol consumption and, in respective analyses, coping styles, affective distress and drinking motives. Finally, simultaneous regression analyses showed that when all variables were considered together, only NMR expectancies, alcohol consumption and drinking-to-cope emerged as significant predictors of problem drinking. CONCLUSIONS: These findings highlight the potential importance of NMR expectancies as a risk factor for problem drinking, above and beyond the risk posed by traditionally studied variables (e.g., depression and anxiety, coping repertoire and drinking motives). Results are interpreted within a self-regulation framework of alcohol consumption.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

Precursors, mediators and problem drinking: path analytic models for men and women.

Direct and mediating effects of mechanisms hypothesized to account for the association between parental problem drinking and later problem drinking by offspring were investigated. Specifically, a "negative affect" submodel was proposed in which family environment, self-esteem, alienation, likelihood of attaining valued goals, psychopathology, and drinking motives would all mediate the parental-problem-drinking to offspring-problem-drinking relationship. Subjects were 350 female and 300 male, eighteen to twenty-three year-old undergraduates. Multivariate analyses of variance revealed differences in a majority of study variables between subjects with and without a family history of parental problem drinking. Structural equation modeling identified associations separately for paternal and maternal problem drinking and offspring alcohol use. Direct and mediating effects were tested with path analysis separately for male and female respondents. Both parents' drinking affected later problematic alcohol use by offspring. The opposite-sexed parents' drinking had a more negative influence on subjects' self-perception. For both men and women, parental problem drinking reduced adaptive family functioning, which was subsequently linked to problem personality characteristics, more personal drinking motives, and greater alcohol involvement. Specific mediating mechanisms varied between models for each sex. Implications regarding these models are discussed.

Adult↗

Sugar, drinks, deprivation and dental caries in 14-year-old children in the north west of England in 1995.

OBJECTIVES: To examine associations between dental caries and reported drink consumption. DESIGN: A cross-sectional caries prevalence study including reported drink consumption. SETTING: Secondary schools across the former North Western Region of England. SUBJECTS: A random sample of 6,014, 14-year-old children. RESULTS: The mean DMFT of the sample was 2.74. The reported mean weekly consumption of cans of carbonated drinks was 5.66, with a range of zero to 42. There was a significant gender difference in drink consumption and a significant correlation between the reported weekly consumption of cans of carbonated drinks and DMFT. Logistic regression analysis showed tea drinkers had a significantly lower DMFT than coffee drinkers and that this effect was independent of the addition of sugar and the number of cans of drink consumed. Reported use of sugar-free carbonated drinks was not associated with better dental health. CONCLUSIONS: Reported consumption of sugared drinks and carbonated drinks was associated with significantly higher levels of dental caries. Drinking tea was associated with lower levels of caries. Sugar-free drinks were not associated with better dental health.

Adolescent↗

Evaluation of the effects of cocaine, heroin and naltrexone, alone and in combination, on milk drinking in rats.

The effects of cocaine, alone and in combination with either heroin or naltrexone, were examined using a milk drinking procedure in rats. Rats (n=8) were given access to a sweetened milk solution for 15min daily until intake had stabilized (3 days with less than 10% variation across days). Rats were first administered saline or one of five doses of either cocaine (2.0-32mg/kg, i.p.) or heroin (0.4-3.2mg/kg, i.p.) 15min prior to milk access. The dose-response function for cocaine was then determined in combination with either 0.8mg/kg or 1.6mg/kg heroin. Both cocaine and heroin administered alone produced dose-dependent decreases in milk drinking. Combination with 0.8mg/kg and 1.6mg/kg heroin resulted in parallel shifts to the left in the cocaine dose-response function. Isobolographic analysis of these dose-response functions using ED(50) and ED(75) values revealed that the combinations of cocaine and heroin were dose-additive, except at the cocaine plus 1.6mg/kg heroin combination, which was infra-additive. Redetermination of the cocaine-only and heroin-only dose-response functions revealed no significant difference from the first determination. To assess the effects of naltrexone on cocaine- and heroin-induced suppression of milk drinking, rats were first administered four doses of naltrexone (0.1-0.8mg/kg, i.p., 15min pretreatment). Then, naltrexone doses were combined with a dose of heroin or cocaine that suppressed milk drinking (3.2 and 16mg/kg, respectively). Naltrexone alone produced modest, but not dose-related, suppression of milk drinking, and had no reliable effect on suppression of milk drinking produced by 16mg/kg cocaine. In contrast, naltrexone dose-dependently blocked heroin-induced suppression of milk drinking and, at naltrexone doses that had no effect on milk drinking when administered alone, produced a parallel shift to the right in the heroin dose-response function. In vivo apparent pK(B) analyses revealed that naltrexone antagonism of heroin-induced suppression of milk drinking involved µ-opioid receptors. Taken together, these results suggest that the effects of cocaine and heroin on milk drinking are either dose-additive or infra-additive and that cocaine-induced suppression of milk drinking does not directly involve the µ-opioid receptor system.

Journal Article↗

Drinking water quality management: a holistic approach.

A growing list of water contaminants has led to some water suppliers relying primarily on compliance monitoring as a mechanism for managing drinking water quality. While such monitoring is a necessary part of drinking water quality management, experiences with waterborne disease threats and outbreaks have shown that compliance monitoring for numerical limits is not, in itself, sufficient to guarantee the safety and quality of drinking water supplies. To address these issues, the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) has developed a Framework for Management of Drinking Water Quality (the Framework) for incorporation in the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines, the primary reference on drinking water quality in Australia. The Framework was developed specifically for drinking water supplies and provides a comprehensive and preventive risk management approach from catchment to consumer. It includes holistic guidance on a range of issues considered good practice for system management. The Framework addresses four key areas: Commitment to Drinking Water Quality Management, System Analysis and System Management, Supporting Requirements, and Review. The Framework represents a significantly enhanced approach to the management and regulation of drinking water quality and offers a flexible and proactive means of optimising drinking water quality and protecting public health. Rather than the primary reliance on compliance monitoring, the Framework emphasises prevention, the importance of risk assessment, maintaining the integrity of water supply systems and application of multiple barriers to assure protection of public health. Development of the Framework was undertaken in collaboration with the water industry, regulators and other stakeholder, and will promote a common and unified approach to drinking water quality management throughout Australia. The Framework has attracted international interest.

Australia↗

Screening for problem drinking in older primary care patients.

OBJECTIVES: To describe potentially hazardous alcohol use among elderly patients in the primary care setting and to assess the widely used CAGE questionnaire (cut down, annoyed by criticism, guilty about drinking, eye-opener drinks) as a tool for detecting self-reported heavy and binge drinking among these patients. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SETTING: The offices of 88 primary care physicians at 21 sites in southeastern Wisconsin. PATIENTS: A total of 5065 consecutive consenting patients older than 60 years. MEASURES: A previously validated self-administered questionnaire that included beverage-specific questions about the quantity and frequency of regular drinking in the last 3 months, the number of episodes of binge drinking (> or = 6 drinks per occasion), and the CAGE questionnaire. RESULTS: Fifteen percent of men and 12% of women regularly drank in excess of limits recommended by the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (>7 drinks per week for women and >14 drinks per week for men). Nine percent of men and 2% of women reported regularly consuming more than 21 drinks per week. When we administered the CAGE questionnaire, 9% of men and 3% of women screened positive for alcohol abuse within 3 months. The CAGE performed poorly in detecting heavy or binge drinkers; fewer than half were CAGE positive when the standard cutoff of 2 positive answers was used. CONCLUSIONS: Alcohol consumption in excess of recommended limits is common among elderly outpatients. The CAGE questionnaire alone is insufficient to detect such drinking. Asking questions on the quantity and frequency of drinking in addition to administering the CAGE increases the number of problem drinkers detected.

Aged↗

Characteristics of child passenger deaths and injuries involving drinking drivers.

CONTEXT: Motor vehicle-related injury is the leading cause of death for children and young adults aged 1 to 24 years in the United States. Approximately 24% of child traffic deaths involve alcohol. OBJECTIVE: To examine characteristics of crashes involving child passenger deaths and injuries associated with drinking drivers to identify opportunities for prevention. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: Descriptive epidemiological analysis of 1985-1996 datafrom the Fatality Analysis Reporting System on deaths among US child passengers (aged 0-14 years) and 1988-1996 data from the General Estimates System on nonfatal injuries. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Child passenger death or injury by driver characteristics (eg, driver age, blood alcohol concentration, and driving history). RESULTS: In 1985-1996, there were 5555 child passenger deaths involving a drinking driver. Of these deaths, 3556 (64.0%) occurred while the child was riding with a drinking driver; 67.0% of these drinking drivers were old enough to be the parent or caregiver of the child. Of all drivers transporting a child who died, drinking drivers were more likely than nondrinking drivers to have had a previous license suspension (17.1% vs 7.1%) or conviction for driving while intoxicated (7.9% vs 1.2%). Child restraint use decreased as both the child's age and the blood alcohol concentration of the child's driver increased. In 1988-1996, an estimated 149,000 child passengers were nonfatally injured in crashes involving a drinking driver. Of these, 58,000 (38.9%) were riding with a drinking driver when injured in the crash. CONCLUSIONS: These data indicate that the majority of drinking driver-related child passenger deaths in the United States involve a child riding unrestrained in the same vehicle with a drinking driver. Typically, the drinking driver transporting the child is old enough to be the child's parent or caregiver.

Accidents, Traffic↗

Alcoholic-like drinking in simian social groups.

We have developed two protocols for inducing sustained, high-dose, alcohol-reinforced, oral alcohol drinking among some members of Macaca nemestrina social groups. Both protocols initially co-present alcohol and the entire daily food supply in a 2-h daily drinking session, with a later return to continuous availability of food. One protocol presents unflavored aqueous alcohol to partially food-deprived subjects; the other compares the drinking of flavored alcohol solutions with the drinking of equally palatable isocaloric non-alcohol solutions when monkeys are not deprived of food. Daily high-dose drinking developed in both protocols, with biomedical changes similar to those of early human alcoholism. Daily drinking to blood alcohol concentrations above 100 mg/dl was sustained in some animals after return to baseline food conditions, and this may have been related to social rank within the groups. Alcohol reinforced drinking of the flavored solutions. Although food deprivation initially produced heavier drinking, drinking with the two protocols was equivalent after return to baseline feeding conditions. These procedures open new opportunities for examining combined social and genetic influences on alcoholic-like drinking.

Alcohol Drinking↗

Changes in schedule-controlled response and schedule-induced drinking after cholinergic blockers in rats.

The effects of the tertiary cholinergic blockers atropine sulfate (AT) and scopolamine hydrobromide (SCOP), and the quaternary cholinergic blockers atropine methylnitrate (AT-Mt) and scopolamine butylbromide (SCOP-Bt), on operant response (lever-pressing) and adjunctive drinking in the rat developed under a fixed interval (FI) 1.5 min food reinforcement situation were investigated. The tertiary compounds, particularly SCOP, increased total responses, and produced a dose-related decrease in the index of curvature (IC) for local rates of response during the FI. The quaternary compounds, however, did not produce changes in the total responses and the IC for local rates of response. AT, AT-Mt and SCOP suppressed adjunctive drinking, while SCOP-Bt did not. AT and SCOP, but not AT-Mt and SCOP-Bt, decreased the IC for local rates of drinking. AT-Mt suppressed drinking at a uniform rate throughout the FI. In addition, several doses of AT and SCOP tended to increase licking counts at the drinking spout per 1 ml water intake. The present results suggest that central cholinergic blockade increases the response and suppress adjunctive drinking, and that the peripheral cholinergic blockade suppresses only adjunctive drinking. Moreover, central cholinergic blockade may produce changes in the patterns of response and drinking during the FI, and in the manner of drinking at the drinking spout.

Animals↗