Intracerebroventricular ethanol-induced conditioned place preferences are prevented by fluphenazine infusions into the nucleus accumbens of rats.

ABSTRACT

The rewarding properties of centrally administered ethanol (EtOH) were examined using a conditioned place preference (CPP) test. Male rats subjected to bilateral intracerebroventricular (icv) infusions of EtOH (0-240 nmol) produced a dose-dependent preference for the drug-paired environment that was potentiated by concurrent intravenous (iv) administration of heroin (0.025 mg/kg). The role of mesolimbic dopamine (DA) pathways in the development of EtOH reward was then examined by challenging EtOH-treated rats with bilateral intra-accumbens shell applications of a DA receptor antagonist. Fluphenazine (10 or 50 microg/side), infused immediately prior to daily place conditioning trials, was found to reliably attenuate the development of CPPs produced by icv EtOH administration. When fluphenazine was administered into the nucleus accumbens shell prior to the final test trial only (i.e., in already conditioned rats), intra-accumbens shell DA receptor blockade was found to prevent the expression of CPPs produced by icv EtOH. In summary, rats form reliable learned preferences for EtOH-paired locations (CPPs) that are potentiated by iv heroin and whose acquisition and expression rely on intact DA functionality within the nucleus accumbens.