Taurine and ethanol preference : a microdialysis study using Sardinian alcohol-preferring and non-preferring rats

in European Neuropsychopharmacology (2000), 10

Recent intracerebral microdialysis studies of different rat brain regions have shown that an acute ethanol injection induced a rapid dose-dependent increase in taurine microdialysate content during the ... [more ▼]

Recent intracerebral microdialysis studies of different rat brain regions have shown that an acute ethanol injection induced a rapid dose-dependent increase in taurine microdialysate content during the first 60-min period. In taurine-supplemented rats, a reduced aversion for high ethanol doses was observed in a place conditioning paradigm, suggesting that taurine may be implicated in the regulation of some adverse effects of ethanol. The present study compares the effects of acute ethanol injections (1.0 and 2.0 g/ kg, i.p.) on taurine nucleus accumbens microdialysate content in Sardinian ethanol-preferring (sP) and Sardinian ethanol-non preferring (sNP) rats. While neither saline nor 1.0 g/kg ethanol injections had significant effect on taurine microdialysate concentration, 2.0 g/kg ethanol administration induced a rapid and significant increase in taurine microdialysate content in both sP and sNP rats. However, this ethanol-induced taurine release was significantly reduced in sP rats by comparison to sNP rats. As taurine is suggested to be released by brain cells to modulate different ethanol adverse effects, this lower taurine responsiveness to ethanol in sP rats by comparison to both sNP and Wistar rats may be a relevant indicator of reduced ethanol aversive effects in such animals and therefore be related to their higher alcohol consumption. [less ▲]

Alcohol-non-preferring Sardinian rats exhibit a higher ethanol-induced taurine increase compared to alcohol-preferring Sardinian rats: a microdialysis study

in Alcohol & Alcoholism (1999), 34

It is well known that ethanol injections induce increases in the extracellular taurine concentration from various rat brain regions. Furthermore, recent studies have shown that taurine supplementation ... [more ▼]

It is well known that ethanol injections induce increases in the extracellular taurine concentration from various rat brain regions. Furthermore, recent studies have shown that taurine supplementation modulates the ethanol reinforcing effects in a place conditioning experiment. However, it is unknown whether there is a relationship between this taurine increase and the ethanol drinking behaviors. In the present microdialysis experiments, we compared the effects of ethanol injections (1.0 and 2.0 g/kg) on the extracellular taurine concentration from the nucleus accumbens of either Sardinian alcohol-preferring or Sardinian alcohol-non-preferring rats which have been selectively bred for their differential ethanol preference. The results show that acute ethanol produces an immediate increase in the taurine microdialysate content from both rat lines. However, this increase in taurine microdialysate content was more potent in the alcohol-non-preferring rats. Since taurine has been postulated to be released by brain cells to modulate some of the adverse effects of ethanol, the higher increase in taurine microdialysate content in the alcohol-non-preferring rats is probably related to their higher vulnerability to ethanol aversive effects. [less ▲]

Taurine - a modulator of ethanol toxicity. From basic concepts to clinical reality

in Alcoholism, Clinical & Experimental Research (1998), 22

Changes in excitatory and inhibitory amino acids as a possible target for new treatments of alcoholism

in International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology (1998), 1