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Ph.D. / Behavioral Neuroscience / The purpose of the research described in this dissertation was to determine the neural circuits involved with baseline ethanol consumption and increases in ethanol consumption seen in our animal model of ethanol dependency (further described below). The brain region of focus was the central extended amygdala (cEA) since this region has been shown to be involved in baseline consumption and self-administration of ethanol in rats (Hyytia & Koob, 1995; Eiler et al., 2002) and the changes in ethanol consumption induced by chronic intermittent ethanol vapor exposure seen in rats and mice (Funk et al., 2006; Finn et al., 2007). To determine if the cEA is involved in these behavioral phenotypes, the components of the cEA were lesioned separately. These components included the lateral posterior portion of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNSTLP), the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA) and the nucleus accumbens shell (NAc shell). Chapter 2 illustrates that lesions of the BNSTLP decreased baseline ethanol consumption in a 2 hr limited access procedure, but not in a continuous access procedure. Chapter 3 and chapter 4 illustrate that the CeA and NAc shell are involved in baseline ethanol consumption in a limited access procedure, since lesions of these nuclei decreased ethanol consumption. To determine if these nuclei were involved in increases in ethanol consumption, a murine model of ethanol dependency was used. In this procedure C57BL/6J (B6) mice are first acclimated to a limited access two-bottle choice preference procedure. The access period begins 3 hrs into the dark-cycle and continues for 2 hrs. Once acclimated, mice undergo chronic exposure to and intermittent withdrawal from ethanol vapor. Results from chapter 4 indicate that intermittent vapor exposure, as opposed to continuous ethanol vapor exposure, optimizes the increased ethanol x consumption response. As indicated in chapter 2, 3, and 4, lesions of these three components of the cEA did not block the intermittent ethanol vapor induced increase in ethanol consumption. In chapter 4, to determine the brain regions that activate in response to increases in ethanol consumption, a c-fos immunoreactivity study was carried out. The results suggest that the NAc shell and NAc core are the two main brain regions that activate as a result of ethanol consumption specifically in the mice that have been exposed to the intermittent ethanol vapor exposure that show the increase in ethanol consumption. Thus the results suggest that while the NAc shell activates in response to heightened levels of ethanol consumption, it is not necessary to see this increase in ethanol consumption. Overall, the results from these three chapters suggest that while the components of the cEA are involved in baseline ethanol consumption, and are responsive to changes in ethanol consumption (as was the case with the NAc shell), they are not necessary to see the ethanol vapor induced increase in ethanol consumption. These results have implications for understanding the neural circuitry involved in ethanol dependence.

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Psychology / Stephen W. Kiefer / Exposing rats to differential rearing conditions, during early post-weaning development, has been shown to produce changes in a number of behaviors displayed during adulthood. The purpose of the current study was to investigate whether rearing alcohol-preferring (P) and non-preferring (NP) rats in an environmental enrichment condition (EC), a social condition (SC), or an impoverished condition (IC) would differentially affect the consumption of and operant responding for 10% ethanol. In Experiment 1 rats were tested for both limited access and free access (two bottle choice between water and ethanol) consumption of 10% ethanol. For, Experiment 2 rats were trained to respond in an operant chamber for ethanol and then provided concurrent access to 10% ethanol (right lever) and water (left lever). After concurrent access, rats were required to respond over a gradually increasing fixed-ratio schedule for 10% ethanol and finally a progressive ratio schedule for 10% ethanol, 15% ethanol, and 10% sucrose. For Experiment 3 rats were trained to respond for 10% sucrose and then assessed for the maintenance of operant responding for 10% sucrose. The data from this series of experiments shows that EC P rats consumed, responded for, and preferred 10% ethanol significantly less than their IC P counterparts. Also, EC P rats did not significantly differ from NP rats during any aspect of testing for all experiments. Experiment 3 failed to reveal a significant effect of rearing although there was a line effect that has been previously observed in the literature. Thus, it would appear from these results that rearing in an EC condition acts to protect alcohol-preferring rats from increased levels of consumption of, preference for, and responding for ethanol compared to rearing in an impoverished environment.

A janela de detecção de etilglicuronídeo (EtG) parece variar de acordo com a intensidade de consumo de etanol. Assim sendo, o objetivo do presente trabalho foi desenvolver e validar uma metodologia empregando extração em fase sólida e GC-MS para a determinação de EtG urinário, no sentido de verificar sua janela de detecção entre um grupo de bebedores sociais e usuários crônicos. Os limites de detecção e quantificação obtidos foram 0,1 e 0,2 mg/L respectivamente. O método proposto demonstrou ser linear no intervalo de 0,2 a 100,0 mg/L (r2>0,99), exato e preciso. A janela de detecção de EtG em amostras de urina de cinco voluntárias após ingestão única e controlada de 0,5 g/kg de etanol variou de 24 a 35 horas. Amostras de urina foram coletadas de 14 pacientes internados em clínica de recuperação. Os resultados mostraram que a maioria deles provavelmente consumiu etanol, prejudicando a interpretação dos resultados. Nos casos em que a concentração urinária de EtG foi decaindo no decorrer do tempo, a janela de detecção variou de 72 a 120 horas. O método mostrou ser útil para monitorar a abstinência durante o tratamento de pacientes dependentes de etanol ou o consumo após uma única exposição em baixa dose. / The detection range of the ethylglicuronide (EtG) seems to vary in accordance to the intensity of ethanol consumption. Thus, the objective of the present work was to develop and validate a method using extraction in solid phase and GCMS for the determination of urinary EtG, in order to verify its detection window in a group of social drinkers and chronic ethanol users. The limits of detection and quantification were 0,2 and 0.1 mg/L, respectively. The method showed to be linear in the interval of 0,2 to 100,0 mg/L (r2>0,99), and presented good accuracy and precision. The urinary EtG detection range in samples of five volunteers after controlled ingestion of 0,5 g/kg of ethanol varied between 24 to 35 hours. Urine samples were also collected from 14 patients from a recovery clinic. The results showed that the majority of them probably consumed ethanol, which compromised the interpretation of the results. In the cases where the urinary concentration of EtG decayed with time, the detection window varied from 72 to 120 hours. The method showed to be useful to monitor the ethanol abstinence during treatment of alcoholic patients or the consumption of only one ethanol low dose.

A janela de detecção de etilglicuronídeo (EtG) parece variar de acordo com a intensidade de consumo de etanol. Assim sendo, o objetivo do presente trabalho foi desenvolver e validar uma metodologia empregando extração em fase sólida e GC-MS para a determinação de EtG urinário, no sentido de verificar sua janela de detecção entre um grupo de bebedores sociais e usuários crônicos. Os limites de detecção e quantificação obtidos foram 0,1 e 0,2 mg/L respectivamente. O método proposto demonstrou ser linear no intervalo de 0,2 a 100,0 mg/L (r2>0,99), exato e preciso. A janela de detecção de EtG em amostras de urina de cinco voluntárias após ingestão única e controlada de 0,5 g/kg de etanol variou de 24 a 35 horas. Amostras de urina foram coletadas de 14 pacientes internados em clínica de recuperação. Os resultados mostraram que a maioria deles provavelmente consumiu etanol, prejudicando a interpretação dos resultados. Nos casos em que a concentração urinária de EtG foi decaindo no decorrer do tempo, a janela de detecção variou de 72 a 120 horas. O método mostrou ser útil para monitorar a abstinência durante o tratamento de pacientes dependentes de etanol ou o consumo após uma única exposição em baixa dose. / The detection range of the ethylglicuronide (EtG) seems to vary in accordance to the intensity of ethanol consumption. Thus, the objective of the present work was to develop and validate a method using extraction in solid phase and GCMS for the determination of urinary EtG, in order to verify its detection window in a group of social drinkers and chronic ethanol users. The limits of detection and quantification were 0,2 and 0.1 mg/L, respectively. The method showed to be linear in the interval of 0,2 to 100,0 mg/L (r2>0,99), and presented good accuracy and precision. The urinary EtG detection range in samples of five volunteers after controlled ingestion of 0,5 g/kg of ethanol varied between 24 to 35 hours. Urine samples were also collected from 14 patients from a recovery clinic. The results showed that the majority of them probably consumed ethanol, which compromised the interpretation of the results. In the cases where the urinary concentration of EtG decayed with time, the detection window varied from 72 to 120 hours. The method showed to be useful to monitor the ethanol abstinence during treatment of alcoholic patients or the consumption of only one ethanol low dose.