Ethanol Intake Patterns in Female Mice: Influence of Allopregnanolone and the Inhibition of Its Synthesis
May 2008
in “
Drug and Alcohol Dependence
”
TLDR Female mice are less affected by certain substances that alter alcohol consumption compared to male mice.
The study investigated the effects of allopregnanolone (ALLO) and the inhibition of its synthesis on ethanol intake patterns in female C57BL/6 mice. It was found that female mice were less sensitive to the modulatory effects of exogenous ALLO and the 5α-reductase inhibitor finasteride (FIN) on ethanol consumption compared to male rodents. This suggested that the physiological regulation of ethanol intake and consumption patterns were sex-specific, indicating that therapeutic interventions involving GABAergic manipulation might need to be tailored according to sex. The study utilized 24 female mice and employed lickometers to analyze drinking behavior at a microstructural level.
