Role of catalase in ethanol-induced conditioned taste aversion: a study with 3-amino-1,2,4-triazole

Recent studies involved acetaldehyde, the first ethanol metabolite, in both the rewarding and aversive effects of ethanol consumption. Brain acetaldehyde is believed to originate mainly from local brain metabolism of ethanol by the enzyme catalase. Therefore, the inhibition of catalase by 3-amino-1,2,4-triazole (aminotriazole) may help to clarify the involvement of acetaldehyde in ethanol's hedonic effects. In the present study, multiple doses of both ethanol and aminotriazole were used to investigate the effects of catalase inhibition on ethanol-induced conditioned taste aversion (CTA). A separate microdialysis experiment investigated the effects of aminotriazole pretreatment on the time course of brain ethanol concentrations. Ethanol induced a dose-dependent CTA with a maximal effect after conditioning with 2.0 g/kg ethanol. Aminotriazole pretreatments dose-dependently potentiated the CTA induced by 1.0 g/kg ethanol. However, aminotriazole pretreatments did not alter the CTA induced by higher ethanol doses (1.5 and 2.0 g/kg) probably because a maximal aversion for saccharin was already obtained without aminotriazole. The results of the microdialysis experiment confirmed that the effects of aminotriazole cannot be attributed to local alterations of brain ethanol levels. The present study argues against a role for brain acetaldehyde in ethanol's aversive effects but in favor of its involvement in ethanol rewarding properties.