Chorda tympani nerve transection does not alter operant oral self-administration of ethanol in the rat

Korkosz, Agnieszka; Scinska, Anna; Rogowski, Artur; Mierzejewski, Pawel; Kostowski, Wojciech; Kukwa, Andrzej; Bienkowski, Przemyslaw

doi:10.1016/S0741-8329(03)00133-2

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Volume 30, Issue 3 , Pages 211-215, July 2003

Chorda tympani nerve transection does not alter operant oral self-administration of ethanol in the rat

Agnieszka Korkosz
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology of the Nervous System, Institute of Psychiatry and Neurology, 9 Sobieskiego St., PL-02957, Warsaw, Poland
Anna Scinska
- Department of Otolaryngology, Division of Dentistry, Warsaw Medical Academy, PL-02091 Warsaw, Poland
Artur Rogowski
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology of the Nervous System, Institute of Psychiatry and Neurology, 9 Sobieskiego St., PL-02957, Warsaw, Poland
Pawel Mierzejewski
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology of the Nervous System, Institute of Psychiatry and Neurology, 9 Sobieskiego St., PL-02957, Warsaw, Poland
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology, Warsaw Medical Academy, PL-02091 Warsaw, Poland
Wojciech Kostowski
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology of the Nervous System, Institute of Psychiatry and Neurology, 9 Sobieskiego St., PL-02957, Warsaw, Poland
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology, Warsaw Medical Academy, PL-02091 Warsaw, Poland
Andrzej Kukwa
- Department of Otolaryngology, Division of Dentistry, Warsaw Medical Academy, PL-02091 Warsaw, Poland
Przemyslaw Bienkowski
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology of the Nervous System, Institute of Psychiatry and Neurology, 9 Sobieskiego St., PL-02957, Warsaw, Poland
- Corresponding author. Tel.: +48-22-3213376; fax: +48-22-8427644.

Received 26 March 2003; received in revised form 23 May 2003; accepted 28 May 2003.

Editor: S. Borg

Abstract

In experimental conditions, it has been suggested that taste factors may contribute to ethanol preference in rodents. The aim of the current study was to assess the effects of transection of a gustatory branch of the seventh cranial nerve, the chorda tympani (CT), on operant self-administration of ethanol in rats. Male Wistar rats were trained to lever press for 8% [volume/volume (vol./vol.)] ethanol solution. When 8% ethanol intake stabilized, the CT nerve was transected bilaterally in six subjects. Another group received sham operations. There were no between-group differences in terms of self-administration of 8% ethanol, either before or after surgery. In addition, self-administration of 2% and 4% ethanol, measured after surgery, did not differ between the groups. In a control experiment, two-bottle consumption of as well as preference for 0.625% [weight/volume (wt./vol.)] sucrose were significantly decreased in the lesioned subjects. The results may indicate that gustatory input of the CT nerve is not necessary for maintenance of operant oral self-administration of ethanol.

Keywords: Operant oral ethanol self-administration, Chorda tympani nerve, Transection, Taste, Rats