Thyrotropin Releasing Hormone Analog TA-0910 Suppresses Alcohol Intake in Alcohol Drinking African Green Monkeys

In previous studies, we found that single injections of the thyrotropin-releasing hormone analog TA-0910 dose-dependently reduced alcohol intake and preference in alcohol-preferring (P) and Fawn-Hooded (FH) rats over a 24-hr period of continuous access to alcohol and water. However, several consecutive daily injections of TA-0910 resulted in the development of tolerance to these effects. In the present study, we found that in a 5-hr limited-access schedule in which monkeys could select an aqueous alcohol solution (7.5% v/v) or tap water, single doses of TA-0910 (0.0625, 0.125, 0.25, 0.5, and 0.75 mg/kg), similar to those found effective in P and FH rats, reduced consumption of alcohol. In this protocol, tolerance to the attenuating effects of TA-0910 on alcohol intake was not evident after five consecutive once-daily doses of 0.5 mg/kg. Furthermore, it was shown that a single dose of 0.75 mg/kg TA-0910 did not significantly influence 24-hr water intake when water was the only available fluid, but did reduce the intake of a preferred solution of saccharin. These findings suggest that activation of brain thyrotropin-releasing hormone systems reduces alcohol intake in primates and that tolerance to this effect is not evident within 5 days under a limited access schedule.