Schedule-induced ethanol polydipsia: enhancement by saccharin

The effect of adding sodium saccharin to a 5% ethanol solution on intake was examined. One set of animals were maintained at 80% of their free-feeding weight, in their home-cages with either 5% ethanol, or 5% ethanol-0.25% sodium saccharin as the only fluid available for three months (home-cage condition). A second set of animals were maintained in cages with automatic food dispensers that provided a 24 hr feeding regimen known to produce ethanol overdrinking (schedule-induced condition). These animals had 5% ethanol as their only available fluid for one month, followed by the 5% ethanol-0.25% sodium saccharin mixture for two months. No significant differences in ethanol intake were found between the 2 home-cage conditions (5% ethanol = 11.6 g ethanol/kg/day; 5% ethanol in 0.25% sodium saccharin = 11.7 g ethanol/kg/day. However, the addition of saccharin in the schedule-induced condition produced a marked increase in ethanol intake (5% ethanol = 13.1 g ethanol/kg/day; 5% ethanol in 0.25% sodium saccharin = 15.1 g ethanol/kg/day). The home-cage animals showed no sign of an abstinence syndrome upon substitution of water for ethanol. In the schedule-induced group, severe tonic-clonic seizures occured as a result of ethanol withdrawal.