Oxytocin reduces alcohol self-administration and stress-induced alcohol relapse behavior in mice

Recent evidence implicates the neuropeptide oxytocin (OXT) as a potential therapeutic for alcoholism. The present studies examined the effects of systemic administration of OXT on alcohol self-administration and stress-induced relapse-like behavior. Adult male C57BL/6J mice were trained using standard operant procedures to lever respond on a fixed ratio (FR4) schedule for 12% (v/v) alcohol or 5% (w/v) sucrose reinforcement (20 ul) during daily 20-min sessions. In a second study, after establishing stable alcohol self-administration and then extinction testing, reinstatement of alcohol responding was provoked by yohimbine (0.3 or 0.625 mg/kg) injection.

Source: Alcohol - May 1, 2017 Category: Addiction Authors: Howard C. Becker, Courtney E. King, William C. Griffin Source Type: research